These days we have been having a terrible heat again, which makes me very tired. A little while ago, we had a number of days of dreadful, heavy rainfall. When the weather is severe in any way, it is somewhat comfortable to practice with my teacher’s calligraphy that I have been very familiar with since childhood.
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このところ暑さがぶり返してしんどい日々です。先日は豪雨の日が何日も続きました。どうも過酷な天気のときには幼い頃から慣れ親しんでいる師の書を習うのがいいです。
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〜Power of words 2017年の催しから〜
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In my message to the visitors at the calligraphy exhibition held in Poland in November 2017 which I was really fortunate to be allowed to participate in, I briefly mentioned “power of words” that is extremely intriguing to me.
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2017年11月ポーランドで開催された書展に参加させてもらった際の挨拶文でも触れましたが、「言霊」はとても興味深いものです。
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After blowing out the power of words/
Pencil got sharpened/
Calligraphy and translation by Chio
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I happened to find a folding fan with my calligraphy of “energy”, and I found this haiku by Masaoka Shiki after searching for a haiku of motifs of “fan” or “folding fan”.
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何とはなしに思い立って「波動」を書いた扇子がふと出てきましたので、扇子をテーマにした俳句を探してこの正岡子規の句を見つけました。
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Vermilion fan/
Only thirteen/
Yet a full-fledged dancer/
Haiku by Masaoka Shiki
Calligraphy and translation by Chio
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As I wrote many times before …when I cleaned my house … this time I found a number of models my first teacher gave me years ago. And this time, they are the size of a paper scroll designed for a common Japanese style room. I think they were given to me to prepare for the examination to be qualified as a calligraphy teacher, probably around forty years ago. I am certain not many people now are fortunate enough to possess something as treasurable as these. I thought I had been and will be incredibly fortunate.
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例によって、家を片付けていたら・・・今度は何枚も半切のお手本が出てきました。多分40年ぐらい前に師範の試験を受けるときの参考のためのくださったお手本だったと思われますが、このような貴重なものを持っている人はもうそれほど多くは残っていないと思います。自分はどこまでもラッキーなのだと思いました。
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I have used the subdivided solar terms as motifs for my calligraphy for some time. In the meantime, some of the phrases don’t give me actual feelings and at some other times, I find things I have never seen in person, like this one 綿柎開, meaning “calyx enwrapping cotton opens”.
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こうやって七十二候の名称を作品のモチーフにしていますが、ときとして「実感が湧かない」と思うこともあり、またこれ「綿柎開」（「綿を包むがくが開く」の意）のように現実に見たことがないものもあります。
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It is a brief extract from a poem by Su Shi in the Northern Song dynasty in ancient China, a major personality and poet. Apparently, it is about a gusty evening shower that comes suddenly and then stops quickly. Now I recall evening showers in summer were just like this when I was growing up. Rains should fall in this manner.
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中国北宋の著名人であり詩人であった蘇軾の詩の抜粋です。ざあっと降ってすぐに止む夕立を詠んだものだそうです。昔の夕立は確かにこういう感じでした。雨もこんな具合ならいいのに。
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Inside the pot here means another world, where, they say you can have as much drink as you want. It implies the pleasure of leaving your mundane duties behind but that the place is extremely limited.
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壺の中の別世界では飲み放題らしいです。そして、それはお酒を飲んで俗世を忘れる楽しみや、また極めて狭小な範囲であることのたとえだそうです。
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The stretch of terribly heavy rainfall seems coming to an end…and this time, terrible heat comes back, which makes me feel weary.
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大雨がなんとか終わりそう・・・と、今度はまた暑さがぶり返してうんざりします。
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Tongue of a butterfly/
Resembles a flowering fern/
How hot the air is/
Haiku by Akutagawa Ryūnosuke
Calligraphy and translation by Chio
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The seasonal phrase for this time of year is this. It apparently means “there is dense mist all round”. Do you agree to this comment on thick fog at this time?
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この時期の七十二候の名称です。意味としては、「深い霧が立ち込める」ということらしいですが、霧って見ますか、この時期に？
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I like writing words from old children’s songs. And these fans are some of the results, and are my favorite, as well. However, they are nowhere to be found, even though I cleaned up my house. I wonder if I gave them to someone as presents.
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古い童歌の詩を書くのが好きで、この団扇もそうですし、自分でも結構気に入っていたのですが、家を片付けても何故か見当たりません。誰かにあげたかしら？
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