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1. Assassin
8. Honorable Death - No Surrender
10. Grim Reaper / God of Death
11. Impermanence
12. Kill / Slaughter / Murder / Butcher
13. Kill / Massacre / Mass Killing
14. Live Free or Die
16. Sword of Death
17. The White Hairs of Old Age
18. Shinken Shobu
刺客 is the most sophisticated way to write “assassin” in Chinese, Korean and Japanese.
The unsophisticated way just means murderer.
Better to be broken jade than unbroken pottery
寧為玉碎 is the short version of a longer Chinese proverb which means “rather be shattered piece of jade than an unbroken piece of pottery.”
寧為玉碎 says the “rather be a broken piece of jade” part (the second half is implied - everyone in China knows this idiom).
A little more explanation:
Death is implied with the “broken” meaning. Jade is one of the most precious materials in Chinese history, and in this case, is compared with one's honor and self-worth. Pottery is just something you eat off of; it has no deep value, just as a person who has lost their honor or had none to begin with.
Thus, this means “better to die with honor than to live in shame” or words to that effect.
This is often translated in English as “Death Before Dishonor,” the famous military slogan.
I would also compare this to the English proverb, “Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.”
Better to be broken jade than unbroken pottery
寧為玉碎不為瓦全 is the long version of a Chinese proverb that means “rather be shattered piece of jade than an unbroken piece of pottery.”
A little more explanation:
Death is implied with the “broken” meaning. Jade is one of the most precious materials in Chinese history, and in this case, is compared with one's honor and self-worth. Pottery is just something you eat off of, it has no deep value, just as a person who has lost their honor, or had none to begin with.
Thus, this means “better to die with honor than to live in shame” or words to that effect.
寧為玉碎不為瓦全 is often translated in English as “Death Before Dishonor,” the famous military slogan.
I would also compare this to the English proverb, “Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.”
This is an idiom. It therefore doesn’t directly say exactly what it means. If you think about the English idiom, "The grass is always greener," it does not directly say "jealousy" or "envy" but everyone knows that it is implied.
This phrase means “Old and ailing with little time left” or “Not long for this world.”
There is a real suggestion here that someone will die soon.
This was added by a special request of a customer and is perhaps, not the most positive phrase that you could put on a wall scroll.
This would be the most offensive possible gift to give to an older person - please do not do that!
Rather die than compromise
寧死不屈 is often translated as “Death Before Dishonor.”
The literal translation is more like, “Better die than compromise.” The last two characters mean “not to bend” or “not to bow down.” Some might even say that it means “not to surrender.” Thus, you could say this proverb means “Better to die than live on my knees” or simply “no surrender” (with the real idea being that you would rather die than surrender).
You can die or kill, but never dishonor or disgrace yourself
可殺不可辱 almost directly matches the idea of “Death Before Dishonor” while also being an ancient Chinese proverb.
The direct meaning is, “[you] can die/kill [but you] cannot [allow] dishonor/disgrace [upon yourself].” Chinese grammar, and especially ancient grammar, is a little different than English. Not nearly as many articles are needed, and a lot is implied.
There are many ways to express ideas similar to “Death Before Dishonor” in Chinese, and I would rate this one in the top two.
A soldier can die or kill, but never dishonor or disgrace himself
士可殺不可辱 almost directly matches the military idea of “Death Before Dishonor,” while also being an ancient Chinese proverb.
The direct meaning is, “[A] soldier/warrior can die/kill [but he/she] cannot [allow] dishonor/disgrace [upon himself/herself].” Chinese grammar, and especially ancient grammar, is a little different than English. Not nearly as many articles are needed, and a lot is implied.
There are a lot of ways to express ideas similar to “Death Before Dishonor” in Chinese, and I would rate this one in the top two.
This is the original form of this proverb with the character for “soldier/warrior” at the beginning. Most of the time, this character is dropped, becoming a five-character proverb (the soldier/warrior part is implied, even without the character being present in the proverb). We also offer a shorter version.
不名誉より死 is the Japanese version of “Death Before Dishonor.”
Japanese grammar is a bit different than English, so this really means something like “Rather die than to be dishonored.” However, “dishonor” is the first three Kanji, and death is the last Kanji. There are two Hiragana (より) which indicate the preference is death when comparing dishonor to death.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
寧死不降 is an ancient Chinese proverb that can be translated as “Rather die than surrender,” “Prefer death over surrender,” “To prefer death to surrender,” or simply “No surrender.”
This is probably the closest proverb to the English proverb “Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.”
This ancient Japanese proverb can be translated as “The principle of honorable death and no surrender,” or simply “No surrender.”
If you directly translate this, you get something that means “Doctrine of suicide,” or “Ideology of honorable death.”
玉砕主義 is a specifically-Japanese proverb that embraces the long history of honorable suicide or self-sacrifice for honor in Japanese culture.
死而無悔 is how to say “die with no regrets” in Mandarin Chinese.
This proverb comes from the Analects of Confucius.
See Also: No Regrets
死神 is the title of the mythological figure (often called the Grim Reaper in western culture) in charge of taking the souls of those who die.
This title can be translated directly as “god of death” or “spirit of death.” The first character literally means “death,” and the second means “spirit” or “god.”
死神 is a very strange title for a calligraphy wall scroll. I'm not even sure if my calligraphers will write it, as it has some bad superstitious feelings attached to it.
無常 is the state of being “not permanent,” “not enduring,” transitory, or evolving.
It can also mean variable or changeable. In some contexts, it can refer to a ghost that is supposed to take a soul upon death. Following that, this term can also mean to pass away or die.
In the Buddhist context, this is a reminder that everything in this world is ever-changing, and all circumstances of your life are temporary.
If you take the Buddhist philosophy further, none of these circumstances are real, and your existence is an illusion. Thus, the idea of the eternal soul is perhaps just your attachment to your ego. Once you release your attachment to all impermanent things, you will be on your way to enlightenment and Buddhahood.
Language notes for this word when used outside the context of Buddhism:
In Korean Hanja, this means uncertainty, transiency, mutability, or evanescent.
In Japanese, the definition orbits closer to the state of being uncertain.
殺 is how to write “to kill” or “killing.”
殺 is an absolutely shocking word to have on a wall scroll. It will bewilder, scare, and perhaps offend any Chinese, Korean, or Japanese person who sees it. I do not in any way recommend this for a piece of calligraphy artwork. This entry is only here because our calligraphy search engine received so many requests for “kill.”
Note: In Korean Hanja, this character is not often used alone - see the other two-character entry for “kill.”
殺戮 is how to write “kill” or “massacre.”
殺戮 is an absolutely shocking word to have on a wall scroll. It will bewilder, scare, and perhaps offend any Chinese, Korean or Japanese person who sees it. I do not in any way recommend this for a piece of calligraphy artwork. This entry is only here because our calligraphy search engine received many requests for “kill” and “massacre.”
You are all a bunch of sick puppies!
Give me liberty or give me death
不自由毋寧死 means “Give me liberty or give me death” in Chinese.
This is also the best way to say, “Live free or die.”
The characters break down this way:
不 = Not; none; without.
自由 = Freedom; liberty; freewill; self-determination.
毋寧 = Rather; would rather; rather be.
死 = Dead; death.
This will go nicely next to your “Don't tread on me” flag. This phrase is known well enough in China that it's listed in a few dictionaries. Though I doubt you will find too many Chinese citizens willing to yell this on the steps of the capital in Beijing.
絕處逢生 is a Chinese proverb/idiom that talks of coming back from death's door or an unexpected rescue from danger.
Figuratively, this can be to recover from a seemingly impossible situation or to find a way out of a predicament.
If you have survived a near-death experience or severe illness, this might be an appropriate wall scroll for you.
殺人剣 is a Japanese title for “Death Sword,” “Life Taking Sword,” or “satsujinken.”
This is the opposite of katsujinken or the “life-saving sword.” This title is not as commonly used in Japanese but pairs well when hung with katsujinken.
The first two Kanji are a word that translates as homicide, murder or kill (a person). 殺人剣 is specifically to kill a person (as the second character means person or human) as opposed to an animal, etc.
The last Kanji is the Japanese variant of the originally-Chinese character for a sword.
See Also: Katsujinken
Until death do us part
Death Match
In modern Japanese, 真剣勝負 means to take something very seriously.
The literal and historical meaning is “real sword battle.” In old times, a Samurai apprentice would practice with a wooden practice sword. Once trained and qualified, they would wield a real steel sword made for battle and killing. They were ready for a “death match” or Shinken Shobu.
真剣 is an adjective that has come to mean serious/earnest. The literal translation is “real sword.”
勝負 in the simplest terms, means match, contest, game, or bout. Depending on the context, it could also mean victory or defeat, winning and losing, or the outcome of a battle.
There is a suggestion in Shinken Shobu that you train with serious and real intent, as we should train with the same fervor and dedication as if the battle was real. “Train as we fight.”
See Also: The More We Sweat in Training the Less We Bleed in Battle | Cry in the Dojo - Laugh on the Battlefield
Born to Suffer
生老病死 means “to be born, to grow old, to get sick and to die” or “birth, aging, sickness, and death.”
This is an old somewhat-morbid Chinese proverb that is also used in Korean and Japanese. It figuratively means the fate of humankind (i.e. mortality) or suggests that we are all born to suffer.
In the Buddhist context, there are the “four inevitables in human life” or “four afflictions that are the lot of every human” known as “四苦” (literally “four afflictions”). Sometimes this proverb is written with that affliction character, 苦, at the end like 生老病死苦.
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These search terms might be related to Death:
Autumn / Fall Season
Each Time You Stumble and Fall, You Gain Experience and Wisdom
Even Monkeys Fall From Trees
Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight
Fight to the End / Fight Until the Bitter End
Flowers Bloom and Flowers Fall
Flowers Fall / the End Comes
Kill / Massacre / Mass Killing
Kill / Slaughter / Murder / Butcher
One Who Walks by the River May End Up With Wet Feet
Pride Goes Before a Fall
Rise and Fall / Ups and Downs
Ruin
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Assassin | 刺客 | shikaku / shikyaku | cì kè / ci4 ke4 / ci ke / cike | tz`u k`o / tzuko / tzu ko |
Death Before Dishonor | 寧為玉碎 宁为玉碎 | níng wéi yù suì ning2 wei2 yu4 sui4 ning wei yu sui ningweiyusui | ning wei yü sui ningweiyüsui |
|
Death Before Dishonor | 寧為玉碎不為瓦全 宁为玉碎不为瓦全 | níng wéi yù suì bù wéi wǎ quán ning2 wei2 yu4 sui4 bu4 wei2 wa3 quan2 ning wei yu sui bu wei wa quan ningweiyusuibuweiwaquan | ning wei yü sui pu wei wa ch`üan ning wei yü sui pu wei wa chüan |
|
Not Long for this World | 風燭殘年 风烛残年 | fēng zhú cán nián feng1 zhu2 can2 nian2 feng zhu can nian fengzhucannian | feng chu ts`an nien fengchutsannien feng chu tsan nien |
|
Death Before Surrender | 寧死不屈 宁死不屈 | níng sǐ bù qū ning2 si3 bu4 qu1 ning si bu qu ningsibuqu | ning ssu pu ch`ü ningssupuchü ning ssu pu chü |
|
Death Before Dishonor | 可殺不可辱 可杀不可辱 | kě shā bù kě rǔ ke3 sha1 bu4 ke3 ru3 ke sha bu ke ru keshabukeru | k`o sha pu k`o ju koshapukoju ko sha pu ko ju |
|
Death Before Dishonor | 士可殺不可辱 士可杀不可辱 | shì kě shā bù kě rǔ shi4 ke3 sha1 bu4 ke3 ru3 shi ke sha bu ke ru shikeshabukeru | shih k`o sha pu k`o ju shihkoshapukoju shih ko sha pu ko ju |
|
Death Before Dishonor | 不名譽より死 不名誉より死 | fu mei yo yo ri shi fumeiyoyorishi | ||
Death with Dignity | 尊厳死 | son gen shi songenshi | ||
Death Before Surrender | 寧死不降 宁死不降 | nìng sǐ bù xiáng ning4 si3 bu4 xiang2 ning si bu xiang ningsibuxiang | ning ssu pu hsiang ningssupuhsiang |
|
Honorable Death - No Surrender | 玉砕主義 | gyokusai shugi gyokusaishugi | ||
Die Without Regret | 死而無悔 死而无悔 | sǐ ér wú huǐ si3 er2 wu2 hui3 si er wu hui sierwuhui | ssu erh wu hui ssuerhwuhui |
|
Grim Reaper God of Death | 死神 | shinigami | sǐ shén / si3 shen2 / si shen / sishen | ssu shen / ssushen |
Impermanence | 無常 无常 | mujou / mujo | wú cháng / wu2 chang2 / wu chang / wuchang | wu ch`ang / wuchang / wu chang |
Kill Slaughter Murder Butcher | 殺 杀 | satsu | shā / sha1 / sha | |
Kill Massacre Mass Killing | 殺戮 杀戮 | satsuriku | shā lù / sha1 lu4 / sha lu / shalu | |
Live Free or Die | 不自由毋寧死 不自由毋宁死 | bú zì yóu wú nìng sǐ bu2 zi4 you2 wu2 ning4 si3 bu zi you wu ning si buziyouwuningsi | pu tzu yu wu ning ssu putzuyuwuningssu |
|
Return From Death’s Door | 絕處逢生 绝处逢生 | jué chǔ féng shēng jue2 chu3 feng2 sheng1 jue chu feng sheng juechufengsheng | chüeh ch`u feng sheng chüehchufengsheng chüeh chu feng sheng |
|
Sword of Death | 殺人剣 杀人剣 | satsu jin ken satsujinken | ||
The White Hairs of Old Age | 白頭偕老 白头偕老 | bái tóu xié lǎo bai2 tou2 xie2 lao3 bai tou xie lao baitouxielao | pai t`ou hsieh lao paitouhsiehlao pai tou hsieh lao |
|
Shinken Shobu | 真剣勝負 | shinken shoubu shinkenshoubu shinken shobu | ||
Birth Old-Age Sickness Death | 生老病死 | shou rou byou shi shouroubyoushi sho ro byo shi | shēng lǎo bìng sǐ sheng1 lao3 bing4 si3 sheng lao bing si shenglaobingsi | sheng lao ping ssu shenglaopingssu |
In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line. In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese. |
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All of our calligraphy wall scrolls are handmade.
When the calligrapher finishes creating your artwork, it is taken to my art mounting workshop in Beijing where a wall scroll is made by hand from a combination of silk, rice paper, and wood.
After we create your wall scroll, it takes at least two weeks for air mail delivery from Beijing to you.
Allow a few weeks for delivery. Rush service speeds it up by a week or two for $10!
When you select your calligraphy, you'll be taken to another page where you can choose various custom options.
The wall scroll that Sandy is holding in this picture is a "large size"
single-character wall scroll.
We also offer custom wall scrolls in small, medium, and an even-larger jumbo size.
Professional calligraphers are getting to be hard to find these days.
Instead of drawing characters by hand, the new generation in China merely type roman letters into their computer keyboards and pick the character that they want from a list that pops up.
There is some fear that true Chinese calligraphy may become a lost art in the coming years. Many art institutes in China are now promoting calligraphy programs in hopes of keeping this unique form
of art alive.
Even with the teachings of a top-ranked calligrapher in China, my calligraphy will never be good enough to sell. I will leave that to the experts.
The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over 6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt such a feat.
Check out my lists of Japanese Kanji Calligraphy Wall Scrolls and Old Korean Hanja Calligraphy Wall Scrolls.
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