海內存知己，天涯若比鄰

Chinese

	within China; the territory within the Four Seas	exist; deposit; store exist; deposit; store; keep; survive	intimate friend; close friend; to know oneself intimate friend; close friend; to know oneself; to be intimate with oneself		to feel a closeness to a friend or loved one despite being separated by a great distance
trad. (海內存知己，天涯若比鄰/海內存知己，天涯若比隣)	海內	存	知己	，	天涯若比鄰/天涯若比隣
simp. (海内存知己，天涯若比邻)	海内	存	知己	，	天涯若比邻
Literally: “the far ends of heaven are like next door”.

Etymology

城闕輔三秦，風煙望五津。與君離別意，同是宦游人。海內存知己，天涯若比鄰。無為在歧路，兒女共沾巾。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

城阙辅三秦，风烟望五津。与君离别意，同是宦游人。海内存知己，天涯若比邻。无为在歧路，儿女共沾巾。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: c. 647 – 675: Wang Bo, 送杜少府之任蜀州 (Seeing off Vice-prefect Du on the occasion of his appointment to the state of Shu) (Wiktionary translation)

Chéngquè fǔ Sānqín, fēngyān wàng Wǔjīn. Yǔ jūn líbié yì, tóng shì huàn yóu rén. Hǎinèi cún zhījǐ, tiānyá ruò bǐlín. Wú wéi zài qílù, érnǚ gòng zhān jīn. [Pinyin]

The watch towers^[1] are protected by the three Qin states,^[2] I can make out the land^[3] of the five crossings^[4] in the distance. My mood (is somber) as I part from you, We are both officials traveling (far from home). When one has a close friend in this world, the far ends of heaven are like next door. (Therefore, when we reach the) fork in the road (where we must part), let us not exchange kerchiefs moistened (with tears like) women and children.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): hǎinèi cún zhījǐ, tiānyá ruò bǐlín

(Zhuyin): ㄏㄞˇ ㄋㄟˋ ㄘㄨㄣˊ ㄓㄐㄧˇ , ㄊㄧㄢㄧㄚˊ ㄖㄨㄛˋ ㄅㄧˇ ㄌㄧㄣˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): hoi² noi⁶ cyun⁴ zi¹ gei², tin¹ ngaai⁴ joek⁶ bei² leon⁴

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: hǎinèi cún zhījǐ, tiānyá ruò bǐlín
  - Zhuyin: ㄏㄞˇ ㄋㄟˋ ㄘㄨㄣˊ ㄓㄐㄧˇ , ㄊㄧㄢㄧㄚˊ ㄖㄨㄛˋ ㄅㄧˇ ㄌㄧㄣˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: hǎinèi cún jhihjǐ, tianyá ruò bǐlín
  - Wade–Giles: hai³-nei⁴ tsʻun² chih¹-chi³, tʻien¹-ya² jo⁴ pi³-lin²
  - Yale: hǎi-nèi tswún jr̄-jǐ-, tyān-yá rwò bǐ-lín
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: haeney tswen jyjii, tianya ruoh biilin
  - Palladius: хайнэй цунь чжицзи, тянья жо билинь (xajnɛj cunʹ čžiczi, tjanʹja žo bilinʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /xaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ neɪ̯⁵¹ t͡sʰu̯ən³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ jä³⁵ ʐu̯ɔ⁵¹ pi²¹⁴⁻²¹ lin³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: hoi² noi⁶ cyun⁴ zi¹ gei², tin¹ ngaai⁴ joek⁶ bei² leon⁴
  - Yale: hói noih chyùhn jī géi, tīn ngàaih yeuhk béi lèuhn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: hoi² noi⁶ tsyn⁴ dzi¹ gei², tin¹ ngaai⁴ joek⁹ bei² loen⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: hoi² noi⁶ qun⁴ ji¹ géi², tin¹ ngai⁴ yêg⁶ béi² lên⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɔːi̯³⁵ nɔːi̯²² t͡sʰyːn²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ kei̯³⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵ ŋaːi̯²¹ jœːk̚² pei̯³⁵ lɵn²¹/

Idiom

海內存知己，天涯若比鄰

to feel a closeness to a friend or loved one despite being separated by a great distance (this phrase is often used when talking about the internet, long-distance phones, etc.)

References

^ Most commentaries explain that 城闕 (watch towers on the city walls) is a reference to the capital city of Chang'an. One other possibility is that it refers to the watch towers of the town where Vice-prefect Du is to be assigned. According to this interpretation, the author is expressing praise for the prestige of his friend's future assignment (lit. The watch towers of the town where you will be assigned provide protection to the three Qin states).
^ Former Qin, Later Qin and Western Qin
^ Some commentaries explain that 風煙 was a synonym for 風景 (landscape). This is the interpretation used here.
^ A reference to the five ferry crossings of the Minjiang River (Sichuan).

“唐詩鑒賞 Apreciating Tang Poetry(2005, 施蜇存 Shi Zhecun)”, in www.qingshi.net‎^[1] (in Mandarin), 2008 May 19 (last accessed), archived from the original on 27 February 2007
“唐詩欣賞 Tang Poetry Apreciation (2003, 文思格 Wen Sige)”, in www.epochimes.com‎^[2] (in Mandarin), 2008 May 19 (last accessed), archived from the original on 30 June 2009

[1] Most commentaries explain that 城闕 (watch towers on the city walls) is a reference to the capital city of Chang'an. One other possibility is that it refers to the watch towers of the town where Vice-prefect Du is to be assigned. According to this interpretation, the author is expressing praise for the prestige of his friend's future assignment (lit. The watch towers of the town where you will be assigned provide protection to the three Qin states).

[2] Former Qin, Later Qin and Western Qin

[3] Some commentaries explain that 風煙 was a synonym for 風景 (landscape). This is the interpretation used here.

[4] A reference to the five ferry crossings of the Minjiang River (Sichuan).

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]