〜Origin is the ancient China 蓬莱飾り〜

I saw this beautiful ornament at a gathering of senior citizens association in the community.  I was told it was a little late to display it because it was for the New Year, however, the garnish was really intriguing.  The plant, I heard, was Lycopodium clavatum and I was surprised to find its texture was much softer than it looked.

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地域の老人会の集まりでこの綺麗な蓬莱飾りを見ました。お正月用の飾りなので、少々時期は遅いようですが、とても面白いものだと思いました。これは日陰鬘とのことで、触ってみると、見た目よりもずっと柔らかでした。

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〜No dragon in water 日差しは明るい〜

We are gradually getting to enjoy bright sunshine.

No dragon could live in a body of water on a balmy spring day, which leaves a little to be desired.

No hint of a dragon/

Raising/

From a pond on a balmy spring day/.

Requests for Chio’s calligraphy are accepted at chio_art@yushokai.com.

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日差しが明るくなってきました。

穏やかな春の日の池には竜などいそうにもありません。ちょっと残念かも。

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〜Origin of Leo ある神話〜

Because, obviously, at the moment, the moon is in the Libra, I wrote the myth of its origin.

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In the Nemea dale, lived a cannibalistic lion with skin as hard as steel.  A number of young men went to the dale to eliminate it.  However, none returned.  One day, King Eurystheus of Tiryns heard this and list killing of this lion as one of the twelve Labors to give Heracles to expiate his mortal crimes of his wife and children.

Having brute strength, Heracles head out to kill the lion with a club and a powerful bow and arrow.  However, they were powerless against the lion with a hard skin.  Still, he hadn’t given up and with his extraordinary strength he kept strangling the lion for three days and nights.  Goddess Hera watched this scene and honored the lion for its fighting spirit and made it into a constellation because she hated Heracles.

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今、月は獅子座にあるようですので、獅子座の起源の神話を描きました。

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〜Seasonal wordage 東と西〜

This is the seasonal words allocated for the five days starting yesterday.  “(Warm) east wind melts ice in rivers, ponds and lakes.”  Here “east wind” means “spring wind”.

Now I remember way back when as a student, I read “ODE TO THE WEST WIND” and learned the west wind here is a prelude of springtime and didn’t really understand.

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昨日ぐらいから5日間の七十二候の名称です。暖かい春風が吹き、川や池、湖などの氷が解け始めるとの意味で、東風は春風と同義のようです。

思い出すのは、学生の頃「西風に寄す」を読んで、ここでは西風が春の先触れであると聞いたときに、よく分からないなと思ったことです。

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〜First day of spring お決まりフレーズ〜

According to the old calendar, today marks the first day of spring.  Here is the routine phrase of the day, “the first day of spring: excellent luck”.  The expression has been considered very fortunate because it is bilaterally symmetric and looks just the same from the reverse side.  However, being an individualistic calligrapher, I have never succeeded in writing the phrase exactly symmetric, though.

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Requests for Chio’s calligraphy are accepted at chio_art@yushokai.com.

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今日は立春ですので、立春のお決まりのフレーズを書きました。これは左右対称で裏から見ても同じに見えるので、縁起がいいとされるそうです。個性派書家の私は左右対称に書けたことがありませんが。

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〜Season transition 豆蒔き〜

Today falls on Setsubun, the day before the beginning of spring and at the same time, beginning of a new year.  There is a long tradition or a custom that we playact throwing beans to the ogres (symbol of evil spirits) in order to chase away ill fortunes on the evening of this day.

One theory says “On this evening when years switch around, people entertain ogres that come to this world from the alien world through the crevice of “time” with feast (beans) and urge them to return to their world.”

Driven by the scattered beans/

Archipelago is full of ogres/

Calligraphy and translation by Chio

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今日は節分ですが、豆蒔きという習慣には、「1年が切り替わる節分の夜に、異界から「時」の裂け目を通ってやってくる鬼に、ご馳走(豆)をあげることで、棲家へと帰ってもらうという意味だ」との説もあります。

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〜Heavy snowfall なかなか溶けない〜

The last snowfall was pretty massive.  The remaining snow on roofs won’t melt so easily.

Oh, what a heavy snow!/

Even crows won’t cry/

Morning in a forest/

Calligraphy and translation by Chio

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この度の雪は本当にたくさん降りました。屋根の上などに残っている雪もなかなか溶けていきません。

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〜Efforts will pay off. 春よ、来い〜

Now, the month of February is here and all I hope is warmer days being around.  I found this Zen phrase because I thought it perfectly matches this season.

I learned it means “If you constantly keep being exertive, someday your efforts will pay off.  Just like plants sprout and flowers open naturally in spring time”.

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いよいよ2月になり早く暖かくなればいいと思う日々です。この季節に合う禅語を見つけましたので、これを書きました。

「こつこつ努力していれば、いずれ自然に報われるときがくる。春になれば自然に草木が目を出し花が咲くように」という意味だそうです。

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