天涯何處無芳草

See also: 天涯何处无芳草

Chinese

		far corners of the world; distant lands	what place; where	not have	fragrant grass; green grass
trad. (天涯何處無芳草)		天涯	何處	無	芳草
simp. (天涯何处无芳草)		天涯	何处	无	芳草
Literally: “Where in the world is there a lack of fragrant grass?”.

Etymology

From 《離騷》 in the Chu Ci:

何所獨無芳草兮，爾何懷乎故宇？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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何所独无芳草兮，尔何怀乎故宇？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Verses of Chu, 4^th century BCE – 2^nd century CE

Hé suǒ dú wú fāngcǎo xī, ěr hé huái hū gù yǔ? [Pinyin]

In what place are there not fragrant herbs? Why do you miss your old habitat?

From “Butterflies Adore Flowers” (《蝶戀花》), by Su Shi:

枝上柳綿吹又少，天涯何處無芳草？ [Ci, trad.]

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枝上柳绵吹又少，天涯何处无芳草？ [Ci, simp.]

From: a. 12th century, Su Shi.

Zhī shàng liǔmián chuī yòu shào, tiānyá héchù wú fāngcǎo? [Pinyin]

Fuzzy catkins get sparser on willow branches after the wind
But where, within the corners of the world, cannot fragrant herbs be found?

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): tiānyá héchù wú fāngcǎo

  (Zhuyin): ㄊㄧㄢ ㄧㄚˊ ㄏㄜˊ ㄔㄨˋ ㄨˊ ㄈㄤ ㄘㄠˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): tin¹ ngaai⁴ ho⁴ cyu³ mou⁴ fong¹ cou²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: tiānyá héchù wú fāngcǎo
    • Zhuyin: ㄊㄧㄢ ㄧㄚˊ ㄏㄜˊ ㄔㄨˋ ㄨˊ ㄈㄤ ㄘㄠˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: tianyá héchù wú fangcǎo
    • Wade–Giles: tʻien¹-ya² ho²-chʻu⁴ wu² fang¹-tsʻao³
    • Yale: tyān-yá hé-chù wú fāng-tsǎu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tianya herchuh wu fangtsao
    • Palladius: тянья хэчу у фанцао (tjanʹja xɛču u fancao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ jä³⁵ xɤ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵¹ u³⁵ fɑŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: tin¹ ngaai⁴ ho⁴ cyu³ mou⁴ fong¹ cou²
    • Yale: tīn ngàaih hòh chyu mòuh fōng chóu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tin¹ ngaai⁴ ho⁴ tsy³ mou⁴ fong¹ tsou²
    • Guangdong Romanization: tin¹ ngai⁴ ho⁴ qu³ mou⁴ fong¹ cou²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰiːn⁵⁵ ŋaːi̯²¹ hɔː²¹ t͡sʰyː³³ mou̯²¹ fɔːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰou̯³⁵/

Proverb

天涯何處無芳草

1. There is no need to be overly attached to one person or location, everything has something about it that is endearing.
2. (of lost love) there are plenty of fish in the sea