Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Yuanfen




The Chinese word Yuanfen is untranslatable directly into the English language.  In Chinese it means a relationship determined by fate or destiny.  It is a complex concept because it draws on the principles of Chinese predetermination which dictate relationships, encounters, affinities, mostly among lovers and friends.

But interestingly, “fate” isn’t the same thing as “destiny.” Even if lovers are fated to find each other they may not end up together. The proverb, “have fate without destiny,” describes couples who meet, but who don’t stay together, for whatever reason. It’s interesting, to distinguish in love between the fated and the destined. Romantic comedies, of course, confound the two.

No comments:

Post a Comment