Y-King, antiquissimus Sinarum liber quem ex latina interpretatione

[Sparhawk]

For the Yi-geek in all of us:

The first complete translation of the Yi jing into a European language was not published until 1834-37. This is a translation into Latin entitled Y-King: Antiquissimus Sinarum Liber ( Yi jing , the oldest Chinese book). This translation had been done much earlier by the Jesuit Jean-Baptiste R é gis (1663-1738), who first went to China in 1698. R é gis based his translation on two earlier unpublished versions, one by Joseph de Mailla (1669-1748), who is best known for his monumental history of China, and Pierre du Tartre (1669-1724). De Mailla seems to have worked mainly from a Manchu translation. R é gis based his translation on the Zhou yi zhe zhong 周易折中 , the famous imperial edition prepared under the auspices of the Kangxi emperor in 1715. It is this edition that most of the subsequent translators of the Yi jing used. R é gis was known for his profound knowledge of Chinese. R é gis completed his translation in 1736, but it remained unpublished until the German Orientalist Joseph Mohl (1800-1876) edited and published it in two volumes that appeared at Stuttgart and T ü bingen in 1834 and 1839. His translation is much more economical and terse than Couplet's version. Thus, for the second line of Hexagram 14 where Couplet uses forty-four words, R é gis uses only six: “Clamosa seu apparens humlitas, solidum bonum.”​

You may be happy to know that a facsimile is located at Google Books, here It is a good thing I have a good Latin-English dictionary and that is easier for Spanish speakers to read Latin...

Beware, book is a two volume, some 1000 pages and is about 32MB in size.

If anybody has problems downloading it from Google, let me know and I'll provide a link to my own server.

 

[wealth]

Another reason for me to learn Latin.

Damn it, where's the time gonna come from!

 

[hilary]

Time was, if I needed any Latin translating I could just ask the parents. But I'm pretty sure that that excerpt is 15.2, not 14.2.

 

[charly]

... I'm pretty sure that that excerpt is 15.2, not 14.2.

Hilary:

Indeed. In Regis original:

Epigraphe 15 Kien = terra / mons ... Epiphonema Secundum: Clamosa seu apparent humilitas, solidum bonum.
(p.447)

Text matching chinese / english / latin (Regis):

鳴ming2: to cry (of birds) // CLAMOSA / APPARENT
謙qian1: modest // some sort of rodent / rat / hamster // HUMILITAS
貞zhen1: omen / divination // perseverance / chaste // SOLIDUM
吉ji2: lucky / fortunate // BONUM

clamosa
clamo : to call, shout, cry aloud, proclaim, declare.
clamor : loud shouting, cry.
...
apparens
apparatus : equipment, gear, machinery/ splendor, magnificence.
appareo : to become visible, appear, manifest
...
humilitas
humilis : lowly, humble.
...
solidum
sol solis : sun.
solio : ? Herimann, cap. 28.
solitas : lonliness, solitude, being alone.
solito : to be accustomed, to have the habit of, the make a practice of.
solitudo : solitudinis : loneliness, solitude.
solitus : accustomed, usual, habitual, ordinary, customary.
solium : chair of state, throne / bath-tub.
...
bonum
bonus : good (melior : better / optimus : best ).

from: http://archives.nd.edu/latgramm.htm

NOISY-OR-APPARENT [PROCLAMED] HUMBLENESS, FIRM GOOD

Yours,

Charly

 

[hilary]

gratias tibi ago

 

[charly]

gratias tibi ago

Hilary:

Maybe for understanding latin is needed more than to have read Asterix as I did.

Yours,

Charly