{{short description|Type of couplet in Chinese poetry}} {{Infobox Chinese | title = Duilian | pic = 瓦硐南天廟 (12)楹聯、窗雕花.jpg | piccap = Pillar duilian outside the Nantian Temple (瓦硐南天廟) in Penghu, reading the eulogy of Guan Yu, to whom the temple is devoted. | picsize = 260 | s = 对联 | t = 對聯 | p = duìlián | w = tui<sup>4</sup> lien<sup>2</sup> | bpmf = ㄉㄨㄟˋ ㄌㄧㄢˊ | mi = {{IPAc-cmn|d|ui|4|l|ian|2}} | poj = Tùi-liân | tl = Tuì-liân | y = Deui lyún | j = Deoi3 lyun2 | qn = Đối liên<br >Câu đối | chuhan = 對聯 | chunom = 句對 | kanji = | hiragana = | revhep = | hangul = }}
In Chinese poetry, a '''duilian''' ({{zh|s={{linktext|对|联}}|t={{linktext|對|聯}}|p={{Audio|Zh-duìlián.ogg|duìlián|help=no}}}}) is a pair of lines of poetry which adhere to certain rules (see below). Outside of poems, they are usually seen on the sides of doors leading to people's homes or as hanging scrolls in an interior. Although often called Chinese couplet or antithetical couplet, they can better be described as a written form of counterpoint. The two lines have a one-to-one correspondence in their metrical length, and each pair of characters must have certain corresponding properties. A duilian is ideally profound yet concise, using one character per word in the style of Classical Chinese. A special, widely-seen type of duilian is the ''chunlian'' ({{zh|t={{linktext|春|聯}}|s={{linktext|春|联}}|p=chūnlián}}), used as a New Year's decoration that expresses happiness and hopeful thoughts for the coming year.
== Requirements == A duilian must adhere to the following rules: #Both lines must have the same number of Chinese characters. #The lexical category of each character must be the same as its corresponding character. #The tone pattern of one line must be the inverse of the other. This generally means if one character is of the level ({{linktext|平}}) tone, its corresponding character on the other line must be of an oblique ({{linktext|仄}}) tone. #The last character of the first line should be of an oblique tone, which forces the last character of the second line to be of a level tone. #The meanings of the two lines must be related, with each pair of corresponding characters having related meanings too.
=== Example === Example of a duilian:
:{{lang|zh-Hant|書山有路勤爲徑}} ::Tone pattern: level-level-oblique-oblique-level-level-oblique ({{lang|zh|平平仄仄平平仄}}) ::Pinyin: ''shū shān yǒu lù qín wéi <!--It cannot be wèi because 作 is 入聲, which is 仄.--> jìng'' ::Translation: The mountain of books has one way and hard work serves as the path :{{lang|zh-Hant|學海無涯苦作舟}} ::Tone pattern: oblique-oblique-level-level-oblique-oblique-level ({{lang|zh|仄仄平平仄仄平}}) ::Pinyin: ''xué hǎi wú yá kǔ zuò zhōu'' ::Translation: The sea of learning has no end and effort makes the boat
{| ! !!width="70"|Bottom!!width="70"|Top!! |- |align="right"|knowledge||align="center"|{{lang|zh-Hant|學}}||align="center"|{{lang|zh-Hant|書}}||book |- |align="right"|sea||align="center"|{{lang|zh-Hant|海}}||align="center"|{{lang|zh-Hant|山}}||mountain |- |align="right"|have not||align="center"|{{lang|zh-Hant|無}}||align="center"|{{lang|zh-Hant|有}}||have |- |align="right"|border||align="center"|{{lang|zh-Hant|涯}}||align="center"|{{lang|zh-Hant|路}}||way |- |align="right"|painstaking||align="center"|{{lang|zh-Hant|苦}}||align="center"|{{lang|zh-Hant|勤}}||diligence |- |align="right"|makes||align="center"|{{lang|zh-Hant|作}}||align="center"|{{lang|zh-Hant|爲}}||is |- |align="right"|boat||align="center"|{{lang|zh-Hant|舟}}||align="center"|{{lang|zh-Hant|徑}}||path |}
== History and usage== Originating during the Five Dynasties, and flourishing during the Ming and Qing dynasties in particular, duilians have a history of more than a thousand years and remain an enduring aspect of Chinese culture.
Often, duilians are written on red paper and stuck on walls. Sometimes, they are carved onto plaques of wood for a more permanent display.
Dueling duilians are a popular pastime with Chinese speakers,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://chinesecouplets.dayabook.com/home|title=Chinese Couplets|website=chinesecouplets.dayabook.com}}</ref> a game of verbal and intellectual dexterity, wit, and speed which shares some parallels with the dozens.
==See also== *Couplet *Fai chun
== Gallery == <gallery> File:邓琰楷书七言联.png|Duilian written in regular script File:MET 1978 23ab mtg.jpeg|Duilian written in semi-cursive script File:姚元之隶书七言联.png|Duilian written in clerical script File:河堤佛福宮 07.jpg File:龍門太白殿 (67)二樓大殿.jpg|Pillar duilian reading the tribute of Avalokiteśvara File:毛泽东手书对联.JPG|Pillar duilian in Pavilion of Prince Teng, written in cursive script by Mao Zedong, excerpted from ''Tengwang Ge Xu'' File:后街清真寺 - panoramio.jpg|Arabic duilian outside Tianshui temple File:Manuscripts in the Yunnan Nationalities Museum - DSC04013.JPG|Manuscripts in the Yunnan Nationalities Museum, Nakhi weather lore in Dongba symbols </gallery>
==References and notes== {{reflist}}
== External links == * [http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20091013190449/http://www.chinapage.com/duilian/duilian.html ''China the beautiful'' web site on duilian and chunlian] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080705091607/http://www.afec-en-ligne.org/IMG/pdf/21-1.Delahaye.pdf Hubert Delahaye, "The ''duilian'', parallel and converging sentences. A few sociological aspects", ''Études chinoises'', vol. XXI, n° 1-2, Spring-Fall 2002 (in French with English abstract)] {{Chinese poetry}}
Category:Chinese poetry forms Category:Chinese calligraphy Category:Arts in China