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Author Archives: Confanity
Does it flip when you’re old?
少年老い易く学成り難し (Shounen oiyasuku gaku narigatashi; “For a youth to age is easy, and to become a scholar is hard”) Definition: People should study hard when they’re young, because time is precious and fleeting. When you’re young you feel like you … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged classical Japanese grammar, hard work, learning, life is short, Zhu Xi, 偶成, 学成り難, 少年老い易, 朱熹
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Blurt
開口一番 kai.kou.ichi.ban Literally: open – mouth – one – [ordinal counter] Alternately: The first thing out of someone’s mouth. The very first thing someone says when they start talking. Alternately, to start speaking suddenly and without warning.
The other big one is wearing socks on hardwood floors
生兵法は大怪我の基 (Namabyouhou wa ookega no moto; “Green soldiering leads to great harm”) Definition: To do things with an incomplete or half-baked set of knowledge or skills is to invite failure. “A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep.” Going … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged Alexander Pope, 生兵法, inexperience, warnings, 大怪我, 朝山意林庵, 清水物語, 仮名草子
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Got sunshine, in a bag
大安吉日 tai.an.kichi.jitsu Literally: big – peace – joy – day Alternately: A good day for doing things. Specifically, 大安 was a very auspicious day under the old 陰陽 (Onmyou, Japanese style yin-yang) divination system, and this compound emphasizes this positivity … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged divination, 陰陽, good day, Gorillaz, horoscope, 吉日, 大安, 暦, 源氏物語
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Promise: A toboggan anapest
Promise At the top of a very tall hill a toboggan sits, waiting for someone to ride it on down. And I think to myself, every time I pass by, that as soon as it snows I will take it … Continue reading
Yoko ni nattara?
蟷螂の斧 (Tourou no ono; “The mantis’ axe”) Definition: The weak standing up to the strong, often with the implication that they didn’t really think through how great the difference in strength would be. A praying mantis that senses threat will … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged 隆車に向かう, 螳螂, 韓詩外伝, 蟷螂, Han shi waizhuan, impossible odds, mantis, 斧
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A harder love
A harder love than frost I love the autumn: The smell of leaves’ new colors, The golds, yellows, reds, The play of warmth and coolness, The wonder of birds in flight. You are my autumn. You are bright leaves on … Continue reading
