Swan feather
30 01 2008千里送鵝毛 () – A gift of Sincere Wishes
[audio:qian1.mp3,li3.mp3,song4.mp3,e2.mp3,mao2.mp3]
Gift-giving is an important part of Chinese tradition and culture. The custom of bringing something as a house-warming gift when visiting to gifts to mark various celebrations, rites of passage, important events, festivals, etc. Some types of gifts become standard, such as seasonal foods and cakes, or fruits and cakes. Whatever the case may be, there are various forms of gift-rapping, such as boxes, trays, envelopes, etc, each marked for various occasions. However, there is also a traditional custom to attach a feather with or on the gift. This defines the gift as Qian-li-song-e-mao, literally, a swan feather from a thousand miles. meaning a gift which may be small but, carries with it the sincere wishes of the sender.
The literary expression is found in the Lu-shi (路史 ), a compilation of historical anecdotes by the Ming dynasty (明朝 ), 1368 -1683 A.D., scholar Xu-wei (徐謂), which records the following.
During the Tang dynasty (唐朝 ), 618-906 A.D., there was a local official who gave orders to one of his attendants to take a swan to the Emperor as a gift. The attendant, being conscientious, saw that the swan needed to be cleaned. While en route, he took the swan to the river’s edge and took it out of the cage to give it a bath when the swan escaped and flew away, leaving only a feather, which had broken off behind.
The attendant was at a loss of what to do. However, being a loyal retainer, he needed to accomplish his assigned mission. Not knowing what alternative was at his disposal, he presented the feather with a slip of paper bearing a poem, reading:
千里送鵝毛 ()-A swan’s feather from a thousand miles away
禮輕情意重 ()-An insignificant gift, with it the sincere wishes of the sender.
From this literary expression, there became the popular and common phrase, 物輕情重(), which gave the same meaning. Therefore, the feather became the symbol for this expression which may be attached to a gift.
Ponddy Reader Lessons:
HSK Level 1: 早上好 – Good Morning
HSK Level 3: 接机 – Picking up someone at the airport
HSK Level 4: 表姐的生日晚会 – Cousin’s birthday party
