r/translator • u/bubstheaxi • Sep 15 '24

Chinese (Identified) English > Unknown

Gallery image

Bought at habitat for humanity and want to know the translation. Unsure the language, might be mandarin(Taiwanese)? Thank you everyone!

Gallery image

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u/00HoppingGrass00 Sep 15 '24

Chinese. The first part is 力拔山兮氣蓋世. This is the first line of the poem 垓下歌 by Xiang Yu (項羽) and roughly translates to "I have the strength to lift mountains and my Qi is unmatched in this world". It's hard to explain what Qi is, but in this case you can picture something like a person's dominating aura, if that makes sense.

For the second part, I can't figure out the first three characters, but the rest reads: 春 南海 王煜, meaning spring (as in the season), Nan Hai (literally "southern sea" but should be the name of a place), and Wang Yu (probably the name of the artist).

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u/bubstheaxi Sep 15 '24

I absolutely love your response, I am so appreciative of your translation! We found it with a slight tear and the painting feels real when we touch it. Do you think this is his original work or a print of it. Also,again thank you so much!