滄海桑田

Chinese
vast ocean; large ocean mulberry plantation
trad. (滄海桑田) 滄海 桑田
simp. (沧海桑田) 沧海 桑田
Literally: “the vast sea (turned into) mulberry fields”.

Etymology

Originally 東海桑田／东海桑田 (literally “East China sea becoming mulberry fields”). From Shenxian Zhuan (神仙傳·麻姑):

麻姑自說云：「接待以來，已見東海三為桑田。向到蓬萊，水又淺于往者會時略半也。豈將復還為陵陸乎。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
麻姑自说云：「接待以来，已见东海三为桑田。向到蓬莱，水又浅于往者会时略半也。岂将复还为陵陆乎。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Mágū zì shuō yún: “Jiēdài yǐlái, yǐ jiàn Dōnghǎi sān wèi sāngtián. Xiàng dào Pénglái, shuǐ yòu qiǎn yú wǎngzhě huì shí lüè bàn yě. Qǐ jiāng fùhái wèi líng lù hū.” [Pinyin]
Magu said: "Since we met last time, I have seen the East China Sea turned into mulberry fields thrice. When I visited Penglai Island just now, I saw that the water was shallower than half of it was when we met. Is it going to turn into land again?"

Pronunciation

Rime
Character 滄 海 桑 田
Reading # 1/2 1/1 1/1 1/1
Initial (聲) 清 (14) 曉 (32) 心 (16) 定 (7)
Final (韻) 唐 (101) 咍 (41) 唐 (101) 先 (85)
Tone (調) Level (Ø) Rising (X) Level (Ø) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Open Open Open Open
Division (等) I I I IV
Fanqie 七岡切 呼改切 息郎切 徒年切
Baxter tshang xojX sang den
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang		 /t͡sʰɑŋ/ /hʌiX/ /sɑŋ/ /den/
Pan
Wuyun		 /t͡sʰɑŋ/ /həiX/ /sɑŋ/ /den/
Shao
Rongfen		 /t͡sʰɑŋ/ /xɒiX/ /sɑŋ/ /dɛn/
Edwin
Pulleyblank		 /t͡sʰaŋ/ /həjX/ /saŋ/ /dɛn/
Li
Rong		 /t͡sʰɑŋ/ /xᴀiX/ /sɑŋ/ /den/
Wang
Li		 /t͡sʰɑŋ/ /xɒiX/ /sɑŋ/ /dien/
Bernard
Karlgren		 /t͡sʰɑŋ/ /xɑ̆iX/ /sɑŋ/ /dʱien/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex		 cāng hǎi sāng tián
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex		 cong1 hoi2 song1 tin4

Idiom

滄海桑田

  1. time brings drastic changes to the world; the vicissitudes of life

Synonyms

Descendants
Sino-Xenic (滄海桑田):

Others:

Japanese
Kanji in this term
滄 海 桑 田
そう
Hyōgaiji		 かい
Grade: 2		 そう
Grade: S		 でん
Grade: 1
on’yomi
Alternative spelling
滄海桑田 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

From 滄海 (“vast ocean”) +‎ 桑田 (“mulberry plantations”). Borrowed from Chinese 滄海桑田／沧海桑田 (cānghǎisāngtián), literally “the blue sea turned into mulberry fields”.

Pronunciation
  • (Tokyo) そーかいそ​ーでん [sòókáísóꜜòdèǹ] (Nakadaka – [5])[1]
  • IPA(key): [so̞ːka̠iso̞ːdẽ̞ɴ]

Idiom

滄(そう)海(かい)桑(そう)田(でん) • (sōkaisōden) ←さうかいさうでん (saukaisauden)?

  1. (figuratively) drastic changes in the world

See also

References
  1. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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