The task for today’s practice session:
“Even if you are sitting alone, sit in a regal style like a huge crest.
And sit on a rock. Sitting on a rock will easily integrate you with the empyrean.
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今日のお稽古の課題。
「一人で坐っていても、大きな峯のように堂々と」
坐るのは岩の上。岩の上に坐ると、天と通じることができるから。
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My first calligraphy teacher who already departed many years back once appeared in my dream.
He corrected my work, saying “Oh, well, this is just about right, but…” as usual.
Then, to my surprise, colors of the pink lotus flowers and the blue water on the paper livened up.
The photo shows my recollection of the dream, which my mother became greatly favored with.
“Howling laugh” was something like his “trademark”.
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既に故人となっている最初の書の師の夢を見たことがあります。
先生がいつものように、「アンタねえ、大体こういうんでいいんだけどね・・・」と言いながら直してくださっていると、私が字と一緒に描いたピンクの蓮の花や水の色がどんどんと鮮やかになっていきました。
それを思い出して、これを書いたら母がとても気に入ってくれました。
「大哄笑」は、師のトレードマークのようなものでした。
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Today, I gave a birthday present to my long-time best friend. Actually her birthday hasn’t come yet, though.
I am not sure what field it would be, however, I heard she would open up her own business soon. I think she is really great for going after her dream and I should emulate her as a good model. But how … ?
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今日は長年のいい友人にお誕生日のプレゼントを渡してきました。実際の誕生日よりはちょっと早かったのですが。
どういう分野か分からないのですが、彼女は近々起業すると聞いています。偉いなあ、見習わねばと思います。でも、どうやって・・・？
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Someone sent me an image of iridescent clouds she found while traveling, which is a symbol of best of fortune.
Wishing on the colorful clouds (symbol of good fortune)/
Setting out on a productive future/
Be ardent/
And also flexible/
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この上ない吉兆である彩雲の写真を送ってもらいました。旅行中に見つけたそうです。
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The photo shows the task for today’s practice session.
Writing a poem of a happy event, a wedding on a fan-shaped paper, which is also a symbol of auspiciousness.
I tend to be very nervous when writing on papers of various forms other than oblong figures. However, I think using papers of variety of shapes is a great feature of calligraphy.
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今日のお稽古の課題。
婚礼という慶事についての歌を、扇面というおめでたい形に書く。
紙の形が変わると緊張してしまいますが、書ではさまざまな形の紙に書けるのがいいと思います。
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My mother and I found this while taking a walk. I wish I could take a picture when it was stretching its neck to the maximum.
Blue heron dances/
Waiting for the rice planting girls/
To appear/
Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko
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母との散歩の途中で見つけました。ぐんと首を伸ばしたところを撮りたかったのですが・・・。
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At a cosmetic shop in a supermarket, I had makeup applied on me. And then, I had my photo taken. It seems it has been a long time since the last time I got a shot of myself.
Exit, entrance/
Of a supermarket/
Peach blossoms/
Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko
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スーパーマーケット内の化粧品屋さんでお化粧してもらって、ついでに写真も撮ってもらいました。写真撮ってもらうのは久しぶりな気がします。
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The other day, I paid a visit to a shrine about which someone told me. For, my basic view on life is “what people praise and recommend must be good”. Although it seemed to be a great “power spot”, I didn’t see many worshippers.
One of he photos shows my work of the text in the form of tankaon the written oracle I got then. And the other shows a sight opposite from the shrine. This is because I once heard you should not take pictures immoderately at shrines and temples.
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先日、人に教えてもらったお宮さんにお参りしてきました。人がいいというものは、いいのだ、というのが私の人生観ですので。相当強力なパワースポットのようですが、参拝者があまりいない。
当日授かった、短歌形式で書かれたお神籤の言葉を書きました。
それから、お宮さんからは、反対側の風景です。神社仏閣で無闇に写真をとってはいけないと聞いたことがありますので。
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Gerbera daisies that late Mrs. M. who was a very good friend of my mother’s gave us bloomed this spring again.
If primulas are grandpa’s flowers, gerberas are Mrs. M’s flowers.
Gerbera daisies/
Keep on blabbering/
In the darkness/
Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko
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今はもうおられない母の親友のお庭からいただいたガーベラが今年も咲いてくれました。
プリムラがおじいちゃんのお花なら、ガーベラはMさんのお花です。
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The photo shows the results of today’s practice session. However, both copying practice and creation are mediocre, to my regret.
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今日の稽古の結果です。
が・・・臨書も創作も中途半端でいけません。
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Because today falls on March 3rdaccording to the old lunar calendar, I will put away Hinamatsuriornaments.
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今日は旧暦の３月３日。雛飾り関連を仕舞います。
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This is the task for today’s practice session. We learned it means that if you make seven runs, take one break. I am afraid I have been keeping taking recesses for some time.
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今日のお稽古の課題。
７回走ったら、１回休憩せよ、ということらしいですが、何かしらこのところ休憩ばかりしているような気もします。
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The photo shows my work I created at someone’s request.
Knowing someone’s existence that highly appraises my calligraphy marks my supreme happiness.
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字を書いて欲しいとの依頼を受けて、書きました。
わたしの字を気に入ってくださる方がいるのは本当に嬉しいことです。
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Yesterday, for the first time in a long while, I went out in the evening to listen to lectures on tarots; their origin, history, various kinds…I enjoyed listening to the lecturers and agreed with one of them who attached weight on how their designs look fascinating.
O, cherry blossoms at night!/
It is only a hundred yeas/
Since I died/
Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko
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昨日は久しぶりに夜に外出しました。タロットカードについての講義を聴きに。タロットの起源や歴史や種類など、など・・・面白かったですし、講師の先生のおっしゃっていた通り、あの図柄って何故か心惹かれるものがあるのですよね。
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Because the task for today’s practice session was to choose and write one letter from our own name, in other words, the same as the last time, this time I chose one from my mother’s name.
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今日のお稽古の課題は、先日と同じように自分の名前から一文字とって書く、というものでした。それで、私は母の名前から一字書きました。
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In our garden, primula flowers are beginning to bloom year in, year out. My mother told me my granddad liked this flower and when she got married and came to our house to live, the flowers were already there.
My mother and I didn’t know the name and used to call this flower “granddad’s flower” until the lady next door who is a keen gardener taught us it was “primula”.
Granddad/
Is a very warm/
Stub/
Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko
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今年も毎年のように庭のプリムラが咲き始めました。母によると、祖父がこの花が好きだったようで、母がお嫁に来た時には既に咲いていたそうです。母も私もこの花の名前を知らなかったので、「おじいちゃんの花」と呼んでいました。ガーデニングがお得意のお隣の奥さまに教えてもらうまで。
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According to the old Japanese tradition, young women were allowed to wear clothing of cherry blossom color, however, women of middle aged or over shouldn’t wear the color of cherry blossom while the flowers were in full bloom and should be wearing the color after the period of their best was over.
Now I wonder what about I who am wearing pink color all year round.
I will dye my kimono deep cherry blossom color/
In order to make a reminder of the blossoms after they are gone/
Poem by Kino Aritomo
Calligraphy by Tomoko
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昔の日本の考え方では、桜の盛りの季節には、若い女性は桜色の着物を着てもいいけれども、中年以上の女性は花の盛りが過ぎてからでないと着るべきでないとされていたそうです。
年がら年中ピンクを着ている私はどうなるのでしょう？
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Today I paid a visit to the grave of my mother’s family, which I do twice a year.
In my mother’s hometown, I have always felt more sunlight, that is, less shaded areas, and the air with much more dusts compared to Kyoto, my hometown.
In the spring sunlight/
Only dusts are/
Rising up/
Nothing has changed/
In mom’s hometown/
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今日は、母の実家の墓参りをしてきました。だいたい年に２回のペースでしますが。
母の実家の町は、私が生まれ育った京都に比べるといつも陽射しが多くて、つまり日陰が少なくて、埃っぽい気がします。
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A couple of weeks ago, a good friend of mine came to my house, saying “tonight is our girls’ night!” with lots of good things to eat.
I had simply too much to eat because the food she brought was so good, however, somehow “drinking” too much would not happen to me.
At a girls’ night party/
A falcon of perfume/
Asking for happiness/
Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko
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少し前のこと。
「女子会をやろう！」と美味しいお料理をたくさん持参して来てくださった方がいました。
食べ過ぎました。美味し過ぎて。でも、私の場合、どういうものか、飲み過ぎ、というのはあまり起こらない。
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I have really been trying hard to escape from anything predictable, but just in vain. Ordinary layout. Lingering cold….
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枠からはみ出たいな、という気持ちはずっとあるのですが、出られない。平凡な散らし。去っていかない風邪。
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As I have been suffering from a cold, I haven’t practiced calligraphy for some time. Today, I resumed this activity by using two brushes, two brushes with extremely long tassels, that is.
The motif is a typical phrase for this season, “a caterpillar turns into a butterfly”.
As a matter of fact, I wish to have skills to express something wilder, unheard-of and unseen.
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風邪で暫く筆を持っていませんでした。
久しぶりに墨を磨って書いてみようと思ったら、つい筆を２本、それも長鋒を２本持っていました。
題材はごく普通に、この季節を表す「菜虫化蝶」。
本当は、もっともっと破天荒になりたい。
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In the eastern world, calligraphy and paintings almost always have used portrait-oriented sheets of paper.
However, in order to match the taste of the people in Western world, we may try expressions on land-scale materials.
“Flower smiles” : Poetic expression of “Flower blooms”
“Fresh breeze”
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東洋の書画は昔から縦長の紙に書かれるのが常でした。
けれども、西洋の人たちに楽しんでもらうためには、横長に書くのがいいでしょうか。
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The task for today’s practice session was this.
Cleaning comes first:
Followed by piety.
Cleaning, especially wiping, will lessen your distresses, as they say, because it is almost impossible to worry about trifles while using a dustcloth or a map. However, among all kinds of household chores, I hate cleaning the most. My biggest trouble at the moment, I am afraid, is that it will certainly enlarge the volume of my distress.
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今日のお稽古の課題。
一に掃除。
二に信心。
掃除（取り分け拭き掃除）をすれば悩みもなくなる：悩みが気にならなくなる、ということらしいですが、私は家事の中で掃除が一番嫌い。余計に悩みが増えそうなのが悩みです。
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My mother’s name is Kinue and mine is Tomoko. I put these sounds Ki, Nu, E, Tomo, and Ko at the beginning of each line and wrote a poem.
I got this idea from a wonderful poem with a warm taste I found at a calligraphy exhibition I visited the other day.
Apparently, a mother wrote a poem putting the sounds of her daughter’s name at the beginning of each line, which I heard made the daughter so very happy. I tried the same manner.
Who are you?
What a strong bond we have had!
Like a coloring picture/
Let us continue painting together/
This picture of our lives, so VIVID/
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母の名前は、絹江。私の名前は知子。それで、その文字を行の頭に置いて歌にしてみました。
このアイデアは、先日見学した書展で、お母さんがお嬢さんのお名前でほのぼのとした良いお歌を書いておられるのを見て、ちょっと真似したものです。それで、お嬢さんはとても喜ばれたそうです。
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The task for today’s practice session was the very first part of the preface to Kokin Wakashu.
Although our teacher told us to write it as our own “creation”, you may notice my growing desperate a little.
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今日のお稽古の課題は古今和歌集の序文の、そのまたごく初めの部分。自分の「作品」にするように、とのことでしたが、ちょっとやけになっているのも感じられるかも知れません。
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In November last year, a heaven-sent opportunity enabled me to participate in a calligraphy exhibition in a foreign country far away from home.
I also got a new friend there. The photo shows my pieces I wrote by request from this new friend for her and her friend.
Being asked to make a calligraphy work is the greatest delight for me. I am principled to respond to this kind of request. I have never failed to.
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昨年１１月に願ってもないチャンスがあり、遠い異国での作品展に参加させてもらいました。
新しい友人にも恵まれ、彼女とそのお友達のために書きました。
「書いて欲しい」と言ってもらえるのは何よりも嬉しいです。書いて欲しいと頼まれれば、絶対に断りません。断ったことはありません。
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It is often pointed out that in Japan, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in a quite different manner from other countries.
Thanking through LINE/
Reflecting memories from long-lasting bonds/
On friendship chocolate/
I feel very happy to receive Valentine’s Day gifts of chocolate from female friends of long standing.
Every year, I spend a long time looking back at old school days and days in old workplaces.
Memories are fantastic, just because they don’t weigh or grow voluminous.
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旧い知り合いからの友チョコは嬉しいです。
学生時代のこと、旧い職場のこと、たくさんの思い出に想いを馳せながらいただきます。
思い出は、重くないし、嵩張らない。
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Tomorrow is a day of LOVE, after all.
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やはり明日は愛の日だと思うのです。
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Tomorrow is a day of LOVE, after all.
<yushokai.com>
やはり明日は愛の日だと思うのです。
<yushokai.com>
Today’s task was this; Time and tide wait for no man.
If literally translated, it would be something like “Years and months will not wait for people.”
That is THE difficulty.
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今日の課題はこれ。
歳月人を待たず。困るのですよね、それが。
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It is Risshun, beginning of spring today according to the old lunar calendar.
The phrase 立春大吉roughly means “Beginning of spring; Excellent fortune.” I read somewhere that all the letters in this phrase are symmetrical, which is supposed to bring good luck.
I am afraid my pretending to be a sort on avant-garde calligrapher has spoiled the effect, though.
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今日は立春ですが、字全部が左右対称なところがめでたいのだと何かで読んだように思います。
こんな風にしてしまったら台無しですけどね。
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“Drive away ogres! Invite happiness into the house!”
When I was a small child, I used to hear the above phrase from houses in the neighborhood. People did shout while scattering roasted beans on Setsubun, the last day of winter, and I remember my father used to do that. However, these days in usual homes, the custom is seldom observed.
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私が子どもの頃、節分には普通の家庭でも「鬼は外！ 福は内！」というのをやっていましたよ。
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“Solve your problems by yourself.”
For the first time in a long time, I drew out a book of examples my teacher gave me more than 40 years ago. The page I happened to open was this: “Solve your problems by yourself.”
I must say the message is so true!
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「自分の問題は自分で片づけよ」
４０年以上前に師からいただいた折手本を久しぶりに取り出して、ふと開けたところがこれ。
確かにそうなんですよね。
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“Calligraphy is amazing! It gives you wonderful relationship with others.”
I chose these words by my precious friend as a material for calligraphy today, if he kindly considers me as his friend, that is.
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書の縁を讃える、大切な友人の言葉を書きました。彼が私を友人だと思ってくれていれば、ですが。
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Combination of Chinese characters and kana characters, again.
On top of that, one is practicing copying classics; while the other is creation. The idea is being one-sided is not interesting.
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漢字と仮名の組み合わせ、再び。
漢字と仮名というだけでなくて、片方は臨書、片方は創作、という対立。どちらかに偏ると面白くない、という考え方です。
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“Your uniqueness hasn’t been very prominent these days. Your works should be more amusing and intriguing as before!” was my teacher’s comment in today’s practice session.
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「この頃貴女らしさが感じられない。以前のように、もっと面白く！」と言われてしまいました。
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Someone praised my work to the skies that I wrote for my first solo exhibition held in the beginning of 2009. I have no idea how I could express my delight.
“It will take some more time for another flower to bloom.”
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２００９年初めに開いた初めての個展のために書いたものを大いに褒めてくれた人がいました。嬉しい！
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This is another one I sent to the exhibition. It has my own tanka and haiku about my mother and looking after her. However, as I was afraid my poetry writing was not good enough to convey my feelings and present situation, I put a commentary as well.
Star and Moon/
Facing each other like smiling at each other/
To their beauty/
Mother offers/
Gratitude/
Taking old mother’s hand/
Flying in the universe together/
Starlit night/
I was pleasantly surprised to see my mother offering her gratitude to the beauty of the Venus and the Moon facing each other as if they were smiling at each other, when I put her in her wheel chair and went out for a short walk, because she became fretful after dinner one evening in fall.
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新春書藝展に出品したもう一つの作品です。母のこと、介護のことを短歌と俳句に書いて、それだけでは拙くて分かってもらえないといけませんから解説も付けました。
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We had the first practice session of the year.
A combination of works; one, a kanji piece of a Zen words on old pine trees, the other, a kana piece of a waka on young pine trees.
Everyone in the class did a good job, which pleased our teacher.
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今日は稽古初めでした。
古い松の木についての禅語と若松を詠んだ和歌の組み合わせ作品。皆がいい作品を書いたので先生が喜んでおられました。
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My mother and I went to the new-year exhibition of the works by our teacher and her students. My mother is smiling so delightedly. Just as the last year, I asked her to write one letter, this time “flower”.
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先生のお弟子たちのグループ展で。
今年も母に一文字だけ書いてもらいました。今回は「花」。
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At the start of the year, it is an established tradition to begin practicing calligraphy on January 2.
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1月2日ですから。
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I look forward to your continued support and friendship for the coming year.
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今年もよろしくお願い申し上げます。
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This should have been posted yesterday.
The photo shows two of my calligraphy works and the one composed of four Chinese characters is a kind of motto of the Winter Solstice, meaning swinging from the negative to the positive, because the days will certainly be longer with the midwinter day as a turning point.
The other one shows my haiku poem about “yuzu-yu”, or bath with Japanese citron. In Japan, it is a traditional custom to put scentful yuzu (Japanese citron) fruits in the bath on the Winter Solstice. People have believed it works to keep your good health during the cold season.
It is the soft steam/
That plays the leading role/
Bath on the Winter Solstice/
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昨日書けば良かったんですけどね。
「一陽来復」と柚子湯を詠んだ（つもりの）私の句です。
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Copying classics is difficult. It is too difficult for me. I would really like to be working on my own.
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臨書は難しい。難し過ぎる。好きな創作だけをしていたい。
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The task for today’s lesson was to write something on a 2018 calendar. After all, time seems to pass quicker and quicker as growing older and older.
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今日は来年のカレンダーを書きました。やはり年をとると時間の過ぎるのが早い！
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In today’s lesson, we practiced characters symbolizing next year’s Oriental Zodiac, the dog. Somehow time seems to pass quicker and quicker as growing older and older.
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もう来年の干支のお稽古をしました。年をとると時間の過ぎるのが早い！
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I chose a tanka by Hakushū Kitahara for a collaboration work with my mother. As I did last year I asked her to write the last one letter meaning “flower”.
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白秋の短歌を書きましたが、最後の一文字だけ母に書いてもらいました。去年と同じです。
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On Saturday, I went to see the exhibition of the original pictures by Ms. Moto Hagio. It was such a thrilling experience. She certainly is a great talent.
In comparison, my calligraphy looks so commonplace and uninteresting.
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土曜日に萩尾望都さんの原画展を観に行きました。やはり天才だと思いました。
それに引き換え、私の字のつまらないこと・・・！
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
In today’s lesson, we all had a fulfilling time. However, that means we were all exhausted at the end.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
今日のお稽古は、充実していましたが、その分疲れました。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
In today’s lesson, I realized how poor I am at planning ahead a number of times.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
今日のお稽古では、何度も自分の計画性の無さを感じました。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
The phrase says this is about the time chrysanthemums bloom.
Now, I remember my late father was pretty pleased with my flower arrangement of only chrysanthemums displayed at our entrance when I was young and practicing Japanese style flower arrangement, Ikebana, like many other Japanese young women. And I was extremely surprised, because my father was a kind of person who would not notice flowers or any other decorations, if there were any. I realized then the flowers had a big presence.
＜To the homepage of this website.＞
若かった頃のこと、お花のお稽古で習った菊だけの盛り花を玄関に飾っておいたら、普段は花があるのかないのかにも気づかない亡父が喜んでくれたのを覚えています。存在感のある花なのだと思いました。
＜このサイトのホームへ。＞
