Introduction to Literary Chinese - Lesson 30, Text 2
Adapted from the 1927 book by J. Brandt
賀友人新年函
A Letter Congratulating a Friend on the New Year
敬啟者。
I respectfully address you.
梅花香泛。大地春回。瑞雪紛揚。歲華己改。
The fragrance of plum blossoms fills the air. Spring has returned to the land. Auspicious snowflakes fall thickly. Already the seasons have changed before us.
對此春風。益懷
舊雨[a]。恭維某某仁兄大人文社凝祥。
Facing this spring breeze, I am all the more reminded fondly of my old friend. I think with admiration of all your scholarly success and consummate good fortune, So-and-So.
潭第集慶。爲祝爲頌。弟碌碌如常。無善可慰良朋。五中常憶故友。
Your household's accumulated happiness is the object of my prayers and celebration. As for me, I have nothing out of the ordinary going on, as usual. I have no good news to comfort my dear companion. In my heart I often reflect on my old friend.
欲乘元旦以賀歲。難獻栢茗。幸値
履端[b]
而修函。聊當
椒頌[c]。
I wish to keep with the spirit of this New Year's Day and offer my congratulations. It would be difficult to offer you the traditional cypress-leaf tea, but I am happy to write you this letter to get the year off to a good start, as my form of a New Year's greeting.
特呈寸楮。用表微忱。
I present you this short letter as a humble token of my feelings.
恭叩新禧[d]
不備。
I respectfully wish you a happy New Year.
弟某某頓首拜。
I, So-and-So, bow to you.
Notes
[a] 舊雨
"an old friend".
This expression is derived from the following sen-tence written by the famous poet 杜甫 Tu-fu:
舊雨來今雨不來 "Formerly when it rained they (friends) came, now when it rains they do not".
[b] 履端
"New Year's day".
From the following sentence in the 左側:
履端於始…
"begin with uprightness". (vid. Ch. Q., p. 34,-1).
[c] 椒頌
This expression is abbreviated from:
獻椒花之頌
"to present a red pepper-plant flower, accompanied by a song of praise, to offer congratulations at the New Year" (vid. Ch. Q., p. 34,-3).