延年益壽
Chinese
| to prolong life; to pray for a good harvest | to prolong life | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (延年益壽) | 延年 | 益壽 | |
| simp. (延年益寿) | 延年 | 益寿 | |
| anagram | 益壽延年/益寿延年 | ||
Etymology
First attested in Song Yu's Rhapsody on the Gaotang Shrine
- 九竅通鬱,精神察滯,延年益壽千萬歲。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: 3rd century BCE, 宋玉,《高唐賦》, translated by David R. Knechtges
- Jiǔqiào tōng yù, jīngshén chá zhì, yánniányìshòu qiānwànsuì. [Pinyin]
- Your nine apertures will be unclogged,
and your vital spirit will be unblocked.
You shall extend your years, increase your fated span
By a thousand, even ten thousand years!
九窍通郁,精神察滞,延年益寿千万岁。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: yánniányìshòu
- Zhuyin: ㄧㄢˊ ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄧˋ ㄕㄡˋ
- Tongyong Pinyin: yánniányìshòu
- Wade–Giles: yen2-nien2-i4-shou4
- Yale: yán-nyán-yì-shòu
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yannianyihshow
- Palladius: яньняньишоу (janʹnjanʹišou)
- Sinological IPA (key): /jɛn³⁵ ni̯ɛn³⁵ i⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂoʊ̯⁵¹/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: jin4 nin4 jik1 sau6
- Yale: yìhn nìhn yīk sauh
- Cantonese Pinyin: jin4 nin4 jik7 sau6
- Guangdong Romanization: yin4 nin4 yig1 seo6
- Sinological IPA (key): /jiːn²¹ niːn²¹ jɪk̚⁵ sɐu̯²²/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Hakka
- (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
- Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yèn-ngièn-yit-su
- Hakka Romanization System: ienˇ ngienˇ idˋ su
- Hagfa Pinyim: yan2 ngian2 yid5 su4
- Sinological IPA: /i̯en¹¹ ŋi̯en¹¹ it̚² su⁵⁵/
- (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
- Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yàn-ngiàn-yit-su
- Hakka Romanization System: (r)ianˇ ngianˇ (r)idˋ su
- Hagfa Pinyim: yan2 ngian2 yid5 su4
- Sinological IPA: /(j)i̯an¹¹ ŋi̯an¹¹ (j)it̚² su⁵⁵/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
- Hakka Romanization System: rhan ngien rhid shiu˖
- Sinological IPA: /ʒan⁵⁵ ŋien⁵⁵ ʒit⁵⁻² ʃiu³³/
- (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
- Middle Chinese: yen nen 'jiek dzyuwX|dzyuwH
- Old Chinese
- (Baxter–Sagart): /*la[n] C.nˤi[ŋ] q[i]k [N-t]uʔ|[N-t]uʔ-s/
- (Zhengzhang): /*lan niːŋ qleɡ djuʔ|djus/
Idiom
延年益壽
- (of tonics, etc.) to prolong life; to promise longevity
- 「《書》曰:『恃德者昌,恃力者亡。』君之危若朝露,尚將欲延年益壽乎?」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE
- ““shū” yuē: ‘Shì dé zhě chāng, shì lì zhě wáng.’ Jūn zhī wēi ruò zhāolù, shàngjiāng yù yánniányìshòu hū?” [Pinyin]
- “But the Book of Documents says: ‘He who relies on virtue prospers, he who relies on arms is lost.’ Your existence is as precarious as the morning dew, and you still hope to live out your years and reach old age?”
「《书》曰:『恃德者昌,恃力者亡。』君之危若朝露,尚将欲延年益寿乎?」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]