I had to ask, because you are so super helpful and seem to be open to questions. The letter lwj sends to wwx in the burial mounds, is there a full translation? The subtitles just say something like wwx is invited to 1 mo party, signed lwj. Full text can be seen in episode 31, 4:12. I saw something recently that suggested there was more to it, but didn't give the full translation, now I'm curious.
[transcript; the actual writing is in traditional, I just changed my keyboard to simplified and can’t be bothered to change it back]:
魏婴今日安否 金氏子轩公子与江氏之女喜得贵子 将满百日 金氏设宴金麟台 众亲朋来贺 婴当以礼赴之
Okay first of all I feel so validated, this is written in pretty unequivocal 文言文 wenyanwen / literary/classical Chinese, I didn’t make up the entire linguistic register post based on smoke and mirrors
(which is a rough translation of 送 song / ‘to send,’ 呈 cheng / ‘a report/petition,’ we’re two words in and Lan Wangji is k i l l i n g me here)
Wei Ying – are you well today? Young master Zixuan of the Jin Clan and Lady Jiang have been blessed with a precious son, who is about to complete a hundred days. The Jin Clan is preparing a banquet at Koi Tower. Relatives and friends will come to celebrate. According to ritual, Ying should attend.
OKAY! OKAY, THINGS. THINGS TO UNPACK HERE
first of all, 今日安否 jinrianfou is giving me so many feelings. I don’t even have a good reason why. It’s just the height of domesticity – are you well today? – in the height of literariness. Lan Wangji and his four-character phrases, my god.
“Young master Zixuan…” yep, Lan Wangji is being super formal here with his naming of Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli. The height of politeness, because he is a polite boi and was Raised Right.
“a hundred days” yeah idk that should be a three-month party? but everyone in the show says one month? pour one out for the props department
“According to ritual” Lan Wangji please, just say you and Jiang Yanli want him to come, this is so you
Lan Wangji’s use of Wei Wuxian’s personal name here without the surname is interesting but not unexpected; I’m fairly confident that there’s precedent for that in classical texts, even if an example escapes me at this particular moment. I am, however, losing it over Lan Wangji exclusively Wei Wuxian’s personal name throughout this invitation, and then signing it with his courtesy name. BOI I SWEAR TO GOD–
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