Analysis of Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den 施氏食獅史

The following is my short analysis of the famous Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den (施氏食獅史) poem. 

About the poem:

"Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den" (Chinese: 施氏食獅史; pinyin: Shī-shì shí shī shǐ) is a short narrative poem written in Classical Chinese that is composed of about 94 characters (depending on the specific version) in which every word is pronounced shi ([ʂɻ̩]) when read in present-day Standard Mandarin, with only the tones differing.[1]

The poem was written in the 1930s by the Chinese linguist Yuen Ren Chao as a linguistic demonstration. The poem is coherent and grammatical in Classical Chinese, but due to the number of Chinese homophones, it becomes difficult to understand in oral speech. In Mandarin, the poem is incomprehensible when read aloud, since only four syllables cover all the words of the poem. The poem is more comprehensible—but still not very intelligible—when read in other varieties of Chinese such as Cantonese, in which it has 22 different syllables, or Hokkien Chinese, in which it has 15 different syllables.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion-Eating_Poet_in_the_Stone_Den

My Analysis

Chinese:

《施氏食獅史》

石室詩士施氏，嗜獅，誓食十獅。
氏時時適市視獅。
十時，適十獅適市。
是時，適施氏適市。
氏視是十獅，恃矢勢，使是十獅逝世。
氏拾是十獅屍，適石室。
石室濕，氏使侍拭石室。
石室拭，氏始試食是十獅。
食時，始識是十獅屍，實十石獅屍。
試釋是事。

Pinyin:

« Shī Shì shí shī shǐ »

Shíshì shīshì Shī Shì, shì shī, shì shí shí shī.

Shì shíshí shì shì shì shī.

Shí shí, shì shí shī shì shì.

Shì shí, shì Shī Shì shì shì.

Shì shì shì shí shī, shì shǐ shì, shǐ shì shí shī shìshì.

Shì shí shì shí shī shī, shì shíshì.

Shíshì shī, Shì shǐ shì shì shíshì.

Shíshì shì, Shì shǐ shì shí shì shí shī.

Shí shí, shǐ shí shì shí shī shī, shí shí shí shī shī.

Shì shì shì shì.

English translation:

The story of a certain someone with a surname Shi eating lions.

A poet from the stone den with a surname Shi, addicted to lions, swore to eat ten lions.

He often went to the market to look for lions.

At ten o’clock, right then, ten lions came to the market.

At that time, right then, that someone with a surname Shi went to the market too.

As he saw these 10 lions, relying on the strength of his arrows, he caused these ten lions to pass away.

He picked up these ten lion corpses and went to his stone den.

The stone den was moist so he ordered his servants to wipe it dry.

After the stone den was wiped dry, he started to try to eat these ten lions.

While he was eating, he started to realize, that these ten lion corpses were actually ten stone lion corpses.

Try to explain this matter.

Multi-level text analysis:

施	氏	食	獅	史
surname Shi	surname	to eat	lion	story
The story of a certain someone with a surname Shi eating lions.

石	室	詩士	施	氏
stone	den, room	poet	surname Shi	surname
A poet from the stone den with a surname Shi

嗜	獅	誓	食	十	獅
be addicted to	lions	to swear	to eat	ten	lions
addicted to lions, swore to eat ten lions.

氏	時時	適	市	視	獅
he	often	to go	market	to look	lion
He often went to the market to look for lions

十	時	適	十	獅	適	市
ten	time	right then	ten	lions	to go	market
At ten o’clock, right at that time ten lions came to the market.

是	時	適	施	氏	適	市
this	time	right then	surname Shi	surname	to go	market
At that time, right then that someone with a surname Shi went to the market.

氏	視	是	十獅	恃	矢	勢
he	to see	this/these	ten lions	to rely on	arrow	power
As he saw these 10 lions, relying on the strength of his arrows,

使	是	十獅	逝世
to cause	this/these	ten lions	to pass away
he caused these ten lions to pass away.

氏	拾	是	十獅	屍	適	石室
he	to pick up	this/these	ten lions	corpse	to go	stone den
He picked up these ten lion corpses and went to his stone then.

石室	濕	氏	使	侍	拭	石室
stone den	moist/wet	he	caused	servant	to wipe	stone den
The stone den was moist so he ordered his servants to wipe it dry.

石室	拭	氏	始	試	食	是	十獅
stone den	to wipe	he	to start	to try to	eat	this/these	ten lions
After the stone den was wiped dry, he started to try to eat these ten lions.

食	時	始	識	是	十獅	屍
to eat	time	to start	to realize	this/these	10 lions	corpse
While he was eating, he started to realize, that these ten lion corpses

實	十	石	獅	屍
in reality	ten	stone	lion	corpse
were actually ten stone lion corpses.

試	釋	是	事
to try	to explain	this	matter.
Try to explain this matter.