Original title of the series: its beauty and symbolism sacrificed by the translation

There is a great loss in the English titles, because invariably, the original titles, besides being faithful and making sense with the content of the series, are loaded with the peculiar oriental philosophical and poetic essence, it is a complement that gives coherence to the plot, as in the case of the present series, whose original title is "When the Wild Geese Return". The goose is markedly present in the opening of the series until the end of it, where we see a blue goose. Even HY's clothes are almost always blue, alluding to the blue goose that also gives shape to the iconic hairpin.

The goose has a strong symbolism in the ancient Chinese culture and was chosen to represent Han Yan because it symbolizes the protection of the elderly and weakest, for being loyal to a single partner throughout their lives, exactly like the characteristics of HY. So it is easy to assess the enormous loss of these disastrous translations that only target the market and do not invest in the export of Eastern culture in its essence, distorting the title to fit it into Western standards.

I copy and paste below the text about the richness of this symbolism and the wonderful poem written by the poet Yuan Haowen (1190-1257), from the Jin Dynasty (1115 – 1234).  The source link is below the text:

Among all birds, the wild goose (雁 yàn), probably has the most virtues in Chinese tradition. They are seen as benevolent, because they always fly in groups and the young and healthy birds don’t give up on the weak or old; they are disciplined, because a flock of wild geese can always keep formation; they are trustworthy, because they regularly and reliably migrate from north to south. And most importantly, they are believed to be loyal lovers that only have one partner for life. Jin dynasty (1115 – 1234) poet Yuan Haowen (元好问) once recorded a story of a hunter who told him he had captured a wild goose and killed it. But another wild goose, who had managed to escape, flew back in search of its partner. After seeing the other goose dead, it uttered a cry, and dove straight into the ground head first in an apparent act of suicide. Moved by the love between the pair of wild geese, Yuan wrote a poem named “The Tune of the Wild Geese Tomb (《雁丘词》),” which contains a line now familiar to many Chinese:

“Can someone tell me, what love is supposed to be?

That makes death a beauty as long as you are with me.”

In addition to the goose as a symbolic characteristic that describes Han Yan's nature, her name contains the ideogram 雁 (yàn), which means 'wild goose', the same ideogram present in Han Yan's name (in Mandarin 寒雁 = hányàn, note the 2nd ideogram 雁 = Yàn, from left to right). The subtleties contained in the titles and in the names of the characters are breathtakingly beautiful and poetic.

I hope I have been effective in trying to dissect everything that is lost when the original titles are translated into Western languages according to the criteria of the cinematographic industry. My advice is for you to always check and use Google Translate to get closer to this source of poetry and delicacy that is Chinese culture.

https://www.theworldofchinese.com/2022/04/birds-and-their-meanings-in-china/

 Nikki:

I truly appreciate the effort you put into sharing the depth and significance of the original title. It offers us a profound insight into the characters' motivations and the poetic essence woven into the story.

Hi, Nikki!! Comments like yours move me and confirm how worthwhile this effort is, whose sole purpose is to share the joys and spiritual leaps that knowledge brings. I, personally, am strongly compelled to wish for everyone the same joys that I have from discoveries and dives into the universe of poetry, art, and culture. Thank you very much for your sensitive comment, a reflection of an elevated heart!🌺

 knitmergetanklock:

Thank you for the enrichment! I prefer the original title and appreciate the nuance it brings after your explanation.

Hi, Knitmergetanklock! Thank you so much for reading the text and for your kind words. It is always rewarding when sensitive people like you share with me this appreciation for beauty and poetry!

 Tom Haygen:

That is a typical situation unfortunately.

Yes, this is a huge loss, especially for the Western public. I have a deep love for Chinese civilization, its art and culture, its poetry and philosophy. I research every quote and am studying Mandarin (what a beautiful and challenging language!) in order to get a little closer to this stunning universe. Thank you very much for reading the text and for leaving your comment here.