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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“After the rain, the soil contains ample moisture” is the seasonal phrase toward the end of February. This phrase is actually difficult for me, as it contains one unfamiliar character.
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2月の終わりに向けての七十二候の名称「土脉潤起」です。雨が降って土が湿り気を含むというような意味らしいですが、普段見ない漢字があって難しいです。
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The seasonal phrase for the middle of February is this, “fish jumps out of ice cracks”. I think it is a pleasurable image that reminds people of the spring season. I am not sure if something like this actually happens, though.
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2月中頃の七十二候の名称がこの「魚上氷」です。割れた氷の間から魚が飛び出る・・・春という季節の嬉しさを思わせる愉快なイメージだと思います。実際にそんなことが起こるかどうか分かりませんが。
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Today marks the first day of the year according to the lunar calendar.
“Riding upon the wind, riding upon the wave.”
How far can we go?
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今日は旧暦の元日です。
「風に乗って 波に乗って」
どこまで行ける？
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Slowly, it is getting warmer. This is the seasonal phrase for the first half of February, which means “Japanese bush warblers begin singing in mountain hamlets”. It makes you feel full of hope. Now, I have a number of messages to send out.
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ゆっくりですが暖かくなってきました。2月前半の七十二候の名称は、「鶯が山里で囀り始める」です。何かしら希望を感じる言葉です。そういえば、いくつか連絡を取らないと。
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I learned it meant “east wind or spring wind begins to melt ice”. This is the first seasonal phrase for the month of February.
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東風解凍。春風が氷を溶かし始める、という意味らしいです。2月初めの七十二候の名称です。
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It is windy and very cold today. However, according to the old calendar, spring already began yesterday, and a little hint of the spring season seems to be in the air. When something is leaving, I wonder if wishing to deterrent it is an innate tendency of human nature.
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今日は風が強くて寒いですが、立春も過ぎて春が近づいている感じがします。過ぎ去って行こうとするものを何故か留めておきたいというのが人間の性なのでしょうか。
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To trap winter/
In a transparent glass case/
Translation and calligraphy by Chio
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Today marks the beginning of spring, according to the old calendar, so this is “first day of spring; very lucky”, a kind of motto for this day. I have heard because all four characters are bilaterally symmetric, the phrase looks the same when seeing both from the front and the back, and so it creates ultimate happiness.
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立春のためのモットーのようなものですが、４字ともが左右対称なので、表から見ても裏から見ても同じで、それで縁起がいいのだと聞いたことがあります。
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Today falls on Setsubun or the close of winter.
My mother unexpectedly liked what I did rather jokingly years ago.
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ずいぶん前にちょっとふざけて書いたようなものを母が気に入ってくれていました。
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