I can’t help feeling a strange attraction about a madwoman. I wonder if it is because I sometimes had dreams (nightmares) of that kind of women when I was a child. This is my image of a madwoman enjoying dressing up with cheap items.
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気の触れた女って、何かしら妙に魅力的な気がしてなりません。子どもの頃に、ときどきそういう女の（悪）夢を見ていたからでしょうか。これは、安っぽいおしゃれをしている狂女のイメージです。
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Woman she is/
Despite insane gone/
Wore a rice ear in hair/
Calligraphy and translation by Chio
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I think I will practice again a book of models my teacher gave me when I was twenty. “Age of twenty” means I was a student and the days when I was absorbed in what was happening at my college, anything about The Rolling Stones and how to look stylish. So, I only barely continued going to my teacher’s school and kept practicing calligraphy. In fact, I have now little memory about this book of models and just wonder if I could really work on these difficult tasks.
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ちょうど二十歳の頃に先生にいただいた折り手本を全部同じように習ってみようと思います。二十歳と言えば、私は学生で、お稽古は細々と続けていましたが、それよりも、大学のこと、ローリングストーンズのこと、オシャレのこと・・・などが大事だった頃で、このお手本のことも覚えていません。今見ると、本当にこんな難しいことがちゃんと出来ていたのかしら？ と思うばかりです。
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Many friends both domestic and abroad wrote to me, “It is cold!”. A friend of mine in Poland even sent me a video of strong wind and snow. These are two modern haiku’s about cold days in cherry blossom season.
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国内外の友人たちから『寒い！』知らせが入っています。ポーランドの友人からは、強い風雪の風景の動画が送られてきました。花冷えの現代俳句を二つ書きました。
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Coldness in the cherry-blossom season/
Got to talk with a friend/
First time in ages/
White is the moon/
Sky is getting cloudy/
Chill in cherry-blossom time/
Calligraphy and translation by Chio
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〜Satori in a sense ある理想形〜
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“Pleasant breeze flowing through sunshine and the moon floating in the sky after a rainfall.”
I learned this is an analogy of a state of mind with no disbelief or complaint.
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『光風霽月』
心に不信や不満がなく、さっぱりと澄み切っていることのたとえだそうです。
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I enjoyed a pleasant weather and beautiful blue sky all day today.
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今日は一日中、気持ちのいい天気で、青空が綺麗でした。
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Erasing complexion of the young/
Blue sky has come down/
Calligraphy and translation by Chio
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Now I think I haven’t written pieces of this favorite theme of mine for a while, that is, contrast of the letters used nowadays and
ancient letters. Putting them side by side will make an interesting work, I believe. The one written in dark ink is a modern form and the one in pale ink is ancient form of 楽.
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この大好きなテーマの作品もしばらく書いていない気がします、つまり今使っている文字と古代文字。並べて書くと面白い。
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The seasonal phrase for about a week starting today is this, namely, “swallows arrive” migrating from south. The characters in the phrase literally mean “black birds come”. Now, I remember swallows used to come and build nests every spring at the entrance of my mother’s natal home. I also remember people were happy to have them, believing the birds bring happiness.
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今日から一週間ぐらいの七十二候の名称がこれです。玄鳥つまり黒い鳥は燕で、燕が南から渡ってくるという意味だそうです。そう言えば、母の実家の玄関先には毎年決まって燕が巣を作っていました。燕は幸運を運んでくると言って、皆が喜んでいたのを覚えています。
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This is another small work of mine that I found while cleaning the house. It is “deep love, to foster, to learn”. In short, symbols of parents’ love toward their children, I heard.
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これも家の掃除をしていたら出てきた私の古い小品です。深い愛、育てる、学ぶ。つまり親の愛のことだそうです。
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“People begin hearing distant rolls of thunder.” In fact, this is the last seasonal phrase for March. The drumstick you see on the left is a custom-made item of the famous drummer whose sad news of death was officially announced some time ago. I am now remembering it was almost 20 years ago that I picked it up thrown to the audience by the drummer himself at the end of a concert.
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「遠雷が聞こえ始める」実はこれは３月最後の七十二候の名称です。左側に写っているのは、先ごろ訃報が報じられた有名なドラマーの特注品のスティックです。コンサートの最後に彼が客席に投げたのを拾ってきたのは、20年近くも前だったかと思います。
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The other day, I went and enjoyed a film adaptation of a musical. It would be extremely hard to get its ticket in ordinary situation even if you belong to its fan club, however, as live performance on stage seems really hard to realize in these difficult days, they made it into a motion picture and so I could enjoy it to the fullest extent. Now I just wonder what is positive and what is negative.
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先日、映画化されたミュージカルを楽しんで来ました。世の中が普通の状態だったらファンクラブに所属していてもチケットを取ることはまず出来ないらしいですが、このご時世ですので、劇場でのライブ上演が極めて難しいために、映画化されました。何がいいのか、悪いのか。
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Beautiful is the big wide-open sky/
It certainly is/
Calligraphy and translation by Chio
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Cherry blossoms make me feel lonely. When they bloom and
when they fall, they make me feel lonely anyway.
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桜は寂しい。咲いても、散っても桜は寂しい。
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Songs of Japanese bush warblers seem to stand out among other birds these days. Here is another copying practice of my teacher’s work which I am sure expresses his mischievous side very well. This is a phonetic equivalence of a Japanese word for this bird. And I remember he loved this kind of game very much. We Japanese have a traditional belief in the spiritual power of words and here, it seemed he believed in that of each character and chose letters of positive, bright, auspicious attribute.
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鶯の囀りが際立つように聞こえる頃となりました。そこで、これも先生の書の臨書なのですが、先生の茶目っ気が現れている当て字なので、これを取り上げてみました。先生はこのような遊びがお好きでした。言霊とよく言いますが、先生はそれぞれの字にも魂があると考えて、縁起のいい明るい感じがする字を選ばれたのだと思います。
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The character is “tree”. It is a small piece of about 14 cm or 5 inches on a side. I hope someone would like it as a simple, little ornament on a kitchen wall, for instance.
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一辺が13センチぐらいの小さな色紙です。キッチンの壁などにお気軽に飾ってもらえるかと思うのですが、如何でしょうか。
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The piece this photo shows was actually sold at an art marché in December last year and naturally it is not with me anymore. As I had a considerable feeling for this one myself, when I look at this picture, I have a kind of loneliness but at the same time, I feel VERY happy.
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写真の短冊作品は、昨年12月のあるアートマルシェでお嫁に行って、もう手許にはいません。自分でも思い入れがあったものですので、この写真を見るとちょっと寂しくて、でもとても嬉しいです。
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More than a year has passed since my mother left. The photo shows a panel of my pieces on various kinds of paper I wrote thinking of her.
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母がいなくなって一年以上経ちます。写真は、母を思っていろいろの紙に書いたものをまとめてもらったパネルです。
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This is a result of my copying practice of my teacher’s work, “dream”. The form looks somewhat similar to the original, however, it totally lacks the dynamism of the lines and the spirit he put into it.
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先生が遺された書の臨書です。形は少し似ている気がしますが、線の力強さやそこに込められた気迫が全く足りません。
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“Cherry blossoms begin to bloom.” The website I frequent to check seasonal phrases to post here says this phrase is allocated to a week-long period from tomorrow. However, the cherry blossoms this year seem to be hurrying.
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「桜始開」ここに載せる七十二候を調べるためによく行くサイトによれば、この名称は明日からのもののようですが、今年は桜が早い気がします。
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I practiced with the model my teacher left. “The most undesirable thing for me is resignation (without trying).”
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先生の遺してくださった手本で練習しました。「私にとって最も不快なものはあきらめである」
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The seasonal phrase for the latter half of March is this, “sparrows start building nests”. Because I live quite near Tadasunomori, every morning I hear lots of birds chirping and singing. Birds have always been familiar to me. And suddenly I had this idea that this deserves to be celebrated. That is why I took the photo of my work with a glass with some Japanese saké.
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3月後半の七十二候の名称です。私の家は糺の森のすぐ近くなので、毎朝鳥たちの囀りが聞こえます。鳥というのは、ずっと身近な存在でした。それでふと、きっとこれはめでたいのだと思って、お酒を入れたグラスと一緒に写真を撮りました。
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Just like the entry I posted yesterday, these are very small ornaments hopefully to be displayed in your house. As a matter of fact, they are postcards. I am sending out these little pieces abroad. I hope people abroad will experience this amazing culture and art and if possible, I desperately wish they would love it.
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昨日に引き続いて、小さな書作品です。実際、ポストカードの作品です。この小さき物たちには遠い異国に出かけてもらうように準備中です。海外の方々に、書というこの素晴らしい文化・芸術に触れてもらいたい、そして出来るものならば、気に入ってもらいたいという一心です。
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Many forgotten things appear one after another when cleaning the whole house. I hope the paper weight on the left side will help you imagine their size, or how small these scrolls are. I used ready-made scrolls to be displayed on the table.
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家中の掃除をしていると、忘れていたものが次々と出てきます。左側に置いている文鎮をもとにして、その小ささを想像してください。仕立て済みの巻子に書きました。
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Today marks the vernal equinox day, and I read somewhere that visiting Chikubushima Island on this day would bring you lots of good fortune. And so, I paid a formal visit to the island and the shrines located there.
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今日は春分の日ですが、今日竹生島に行くと縁起がいいと何かで読みましたので、その島のいくつもの神社にお詣りして来ました。
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Great lake in springtime/
Little waves/
Come near the gigantic boat/
Calligraphy and translation by Chio
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Balmy day of spring.
Pleasant spring wind.
Spring color.
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I drew out again the models my first calligraphy teacher gave me when I was a child. Now, I realize how seriously he tried to show us, children practicing calligraphy, should learn the basics. In those days, it never occurred to me.
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子供の頃に先生からいただいたお手本をまた見直してみました。こうして見ると、先生が子供にもよく解るように心を砕いてくださっていたことがよく分かります。当時は全く分かりませんでした。
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A very long and good friend of mine sent me four brand-new brushes she found while she was tidying up her place, saying she doesn’t have any plans to use them. I thought for a while which one I should use to express my thanks to her. But I just couldn’t choose one, so I used all four to write “gratitude”.
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旧い友人が、お家を片付けていた時に見つけたけれども、使う予定もないからと真新しい筆を4本送ってくれました。どれを使って感謝の気持ちを表そうかしらと考えましたが選べないので全部を使って書きました。「感謝」と。
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The photo shows some gifts I received yesterday as the White Day presents. These cute, little, appetizing things easily fill my heart with joy.
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昨日受け取ったホワイトデーの贈り物です。可愛いくて美味しそうなものがいっぱいで心楽しくなります。
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Confectioneries are also ready to be/
Served/
Pleasant evening/
Calligraphy and translation by Chio
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The second seasonal phrase for March is “First peach blossoms smile”. Smile or laugh 笑here is bloom; the expression “flower smiles” means “flower blossoms”. Now, that is definitely my favorite depiction.
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3月二つ目の七十二候の名称は、「桃始笑」。「笑」はこの場合「咲」で、「花が咲く」ことを「花が笑う」という私の大好きな表現です。
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Because fifty flowers in one vase looked too tight just as I thought, I rearranged them into four bowls together with the letter 「華」 “flower”.
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ガーベラ50本を一つの花瓶に入れておくのは、やはり窮屈そうだったので、分けてみました。「華」の字と一緒に。
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The photos show an event relating to the traditional Dolls Festival that lasted one week until last Friday. I find something of this sort very heartwarming, and I think they did a very good job about the event. However, it must be really difficult and challenging to pass on tradition and culture supported by long history. As a matter of fact, I am afraid this style of displaying dolls using stands was not very popular in Kyoto. Still, I think it valuable to convey cultural spirits.
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写真は先週の金曜日までの一週間開かれていた雛祭り関連のイベントです。こうしたものを見ると心が温かくなります。いい展示をしてくださったと思うからです。けれども、伝統を伝えるのは容易くありません。実際、京都ではこのような段飾りは主流ではなかったのではないかと思います。それでも、長い伝統や文化を伝えようとするのは意義深いことと思います。
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Beautiful time/
Runs/
Before the tiered dolls stand/
Calligraphy and translation by Chio
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Following is what an elderly lady says who I respect deeply: “When you look up and see the sky, and if you have a bed to sleep on tonight, everything about your life is OK”
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私が尊敬してやまない年配の女性の言葉です：「上を見上げたら空が見えて、今晩寝るところがあればそれで良いのよ」
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Today I went to my late mother’s hometown, Hirakata, Osaka to visit her family grave, which I regularly do twice a year. It is a good old place that brings me fond memories, however, I am afraid it is moving away from me little by little. For, I think, people I used to see there have all left me.
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今日は、年に2回の亡母の枚方の実家の墓参りに行ってきました。懐かしい思い出を呼び起こしてくれる場所ですが、段々と遠ざかっているようにも思います。多分、そこにまつわる人たちが全部いなくなったからだと思います。
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Light flows through the/
Hometown to/
Be a river in spring/
Calligraphy and translation by Chio
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My important friend who brought many delicacies to the party the other day, also gave me some Sauerkraut. I think this was not exactly the first time for me to taste it, but it was definitely the first time to have a substantial amount. I surely enjoyed it!
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先日の女子会にたくさんご馳走を運んでくれた友人がこのザワークラウトもくれました。全く初めて食べた訳ではないと思いますが、こんなにしっかりいただいたのは初めてで、美味しかったです！
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Heard a noise of a cabbage/
Tighten up swirling/
Calligraphy and translation by Chio
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〜Copying the calligraphy by my teacher 快活さ〜
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I have done this many times before and I am determined to continue this way of practicing as long as my life lasts. Then, once again, I practiced copying my first teacher had left. “It is desirable to spend days with the flow of spirits of the young.”
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こういう稽古は何度もしていますし、今後も命ある限り続けるのだと思いますが、そこで初めの師匠が遺してくれた書の臨書です。『青年の朗らかな快活さをもって日を送るということこそ相応わしい』
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I was gazing into this painting for some time at an acquaintance’s place, and she gave it to me. I was moved and felt very happy, because it must have been given to her by her important friend. I had a feeling it looked like a faraway place both spaciously and timewise. And I was inspired to write “Light flows”.
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知り合いの家でこの絵に見入っていたら、プレゼントしてもらえました。きっと大事なご友人からの贈り物だったでしょうに。遥かなる時空の風景のように見えましたので、『光流れて』と書きたくなりました。
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I received a huge bouquet on a beautiful spring day. I just put the flowers in a vase, which looked so small, indeed! I offer my deepest thanks.
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綺麗な春の日に大きな花束が届きました。とりあえず、そのまま花瓶に入れましたが、いかにも花瓶が小さく見えました。感謝。
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Packed into a bundle are/
So many gerbera flowers of different colors/
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Calligraphy and translation by Chio
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Today marks Jingzhe, the season when wintering insects come out of hibernation. I searched a poem from ancient China by this keyword and found this interesting one. It is only a passage of the whole poem that expresses “wondering in fields inadvertently to find myself at your door”, which I think a poor excuse.
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今日は啓蟄なので、これをキーワードにして古い漢詩を探したら、この面白いのが見つかりました。これは全体の中の一節ですが、「何の気なしに歩いていて、気づいたら君の家の戸口にいた」ということらしいですが、下手な言い訳だと思います。
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This is the first seasonal phrase for March, which means “as the weather gets warmer, vegetation begins to bud”. The last Chinese character means “to move”. I feel this is the most suitable character for the phenomenon.
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三月の初めの七十二候の名称で、暖かくなるにつれて、草木が芽吹き出すという意味だそうです。「動」という字がぴったりだなと思います。
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A very good, longtime friend of mine came with a lot of homemade delicacies and quality booze; and precious antique cups for tea from ancient China around four hundred years ago, which we used as saké cups. Despite all those good things to eat and drink; and to see and use; on the girls’ dolls festival day, our conversation was the best thing we had.
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大切な古い友人がたくさんのお手製のご馳走と上等のお酒と、そして貴重な骨董品（康熙年製）の茶器を持ってきてくれました。尤もそれを酒器に使いましたが。それでも、雛祭りの日の女子会としては、何よりも会話が尊いご馳走でした。
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Cold days of lilacs/
Nothing moves/
In the antique shop/
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O the month of February/
A dreamer/
At the antique market/
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Calligraphy and translation by Chio
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I collected many forms of letters for only one character 寿, that means “happy longevity” for my future productions. The letter寿has lots of variations, among of which this one looks definitely the most intriguing to me.
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今後の作品制作のために色々の形の「寿」という字をたくさん集めてみました。そんな中でこれが私には断然最も面白いものでした。
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It is very warm today, and it does feel like the month of March. The photo shows my work from long time ago of a passage of an old children’s song about the Dolls Festival on March 3rd.
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今日は暖かくて３月らしい陽気です。写真の作品は、童謡「うれしいひなまつり」の一節をずいぶん以前に書いたものです。
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My present teacher gave us, her students, a new task; to write one Chinese character that symbolizes this past year. Lots of things happened to my life this past year, which made me think many things. That is why I chose this character, “to think” or “thoughts”. Lastly, I need to choose which one I should submit.
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この一年を総括するような一文字を書いて提出するように、との課題が出されました。この一年の間には多くのことがおきました。そして、いろいろのことを思いましたので、「思」を書きました。あとは、どれを提出するかです。
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I practiced a page of a haiku from a book of models given to me by my first calligraphy teacher a number of decades ago.
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昔先生にいただいたお手本から俳句を選んで臨書しました。
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Lights of white blossoms of Japanese plum trees/
Flow into my hermitage/
Translation by Chio
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t was a cold rainy morning. And it was raining pretty steadily, which, somehow, made me feel like writing an ancient Chinese poem by a famous poet, Du Fu, the one about enjoying spring rain.
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久しぶりにしっかりと降る寒い雨の朝でした。ふと雨を詠った漢詩が書きたくなって、杜甫の「春夜喜雨」を選びました。
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This is the last seasonal term for February meaning the first mist of the year flows.
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2月の最後の七十二候の名称は「霞始靆」です。霞がたなびき始めるという意味だそうです。
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It has been cold and windy again for these couple of days. This modern haiku is fascinating, I thought. Even though it is “pale”, if the air is colored, deeper parts stay lower.
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この２〜3日はまた寒くて風も強いです。この現代俳句はとても面白いと思いました。「薄く」ても色のついた空気は地面近くに溜まります。
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Cold moments in spring/
Pale-colored air/
Stays near the earth/
Calligraphy and translation by Chio
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This piece enjoyed the most popularity at a group exhibition by three calligraphers from Poland and Japan held in November, 2017. The event, at the moment, seems to me something of a long time ago. However, it marks a really significant scene in my life, as I obtained valuable experiences and precious friends. The work has letters meaning “dance” in both modern and ancient forms.
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これは、2017年11月に参加させてもらった日本とポーランドの書家三人による書展で最も人気のあったものです。何かしら今はもう遠い出来事のようにも思えますが、貴重な体験と大事な友人たちを得たイベントでした。書いているのは、「舞」という字の現代使われている形と古代文字です。
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I like the touch of a brush with plenty of water, so I enjoyed doing this.
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『自分の流れを生きる』潤筆が好きなので、ちょっと遊んでみました。
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For the first time in a long time, I practiced copying of my first teacher’s small letters calligraphy. I tried this a number of times, however, mine completely lacks a feeling of tension of the lines. As I was doing this, I felt more and more depressed. I only wish this time would never be wasted.
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久しぶりに先生の仮名の書の臨書をしました。何度も書きましたが、線の緊張感が全く違います。書いているうちに落ち込んできますが、この時間も無駄でないはずと祈るばかりです。
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