Re: [cjk] off-topic: translation of a poem title

[Hin-Tak Leung]

--- On Thu, 16/5/13, Werner LEMBERG <address@hidden> wrote:

> Folks,
> 
> 
> can someone provide a translation of the following title
> (only) of a
> poem from Meng Hao-ran (孟浩然)?
> 
>   宿業師山房待丁大不至

<snipped>
>   In the mountain lodge of master Sù Yè, waiting in
> vain for Dīng Dà

I don't think you got "宿業" correct - it is not a person's name; OTOH, I had 
problem for similar reason with the 2nd part, and had to to look up "丁大" being 
an actual person's name.

宿 = sleeping/staying
業師 = main (=profession/career) teacher/master, also the common term for a 
person who provides spiritual guidance, i.e. a monk

So I would translate it as (it is probably a monk's retreat)

night staying at a/the/my honoured teacher's mountain hut, waiting for (friend 
whose name is) Dīng Dà who does not turn up.

It is also possible "大" is part of an affective form or nick name - (for 
"elder/eldest") - i.e. elder brother Ding or Ding the older/elder .

> but my knowledge of the Chinese of the Tang dynasty is far
> too
> limited...  There are plenty of translations to be
> found in the
> internet, but since they are diverging so much I'm unsure
> which one to
> trust.
> 
> 
>     Werner
>