Tag Archives: birds

Suddenly, given the bird

Posted on January 16, 2022 by Confanity

Imagine if it did just literally “stand up,” though! 足下から鳥が立つ(Ashimoto kara tori ga tatsu;“A bird takes flight at one’s feet”) Definition: An expression of startlement. Something happens suddenly close at hand, or someone abruptly begins doing an activity, especially if … Continue reading →

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And still the generations of the birds sing through our sighing

Posted on October 3, 2021 by Confanity

(Elizabeth Barret Browning, “Patience Taught by Nature”) 鳴くまで待とう時鳥(Naku made matou hototogisu;“We shall wait until it sings – The lovely cuckoo”) Definition: An expression of patience, of waiting for something good to happen or a good opportunity to arise. If the … Continue reading →

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Ambition is for the birds

Posted on July 19, 2020 by Confanity

燕雀安くんぞ鴻鵠の志を知らんや (Enjaku izukunzo koukoku no kokorozashi wo shiran ya; “How could the swallow or sparrow understand the goose or swan?”) Definition: People of lowly character or small ability don’t, and can’t, understand the thought processes and ambitions of those with … Continue reading →

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Birds of any feather care for kids together

Posted on July 15, 2018 by Confanity

Don’t be the kind of sordid villain that drives parents to this level of protective sacrifice. Don’t allow that kind of villain to hold any power over others. Think of the children. 焼け野の雉子夜の鶴 (Yakeno no kigisu yoru no tsuru; “The … Continue reading →

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A Flight of Words (a most podern tale)

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Confanity

Today I went out on the balcony just in time to see a hundred small black birds wheel through the sky above me like a living constellation. The sky struck me as being incredibly blue. Not that it really was, … Continue reading →

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