Scrolls With Flowers in Chinese / Japanese...

千慮一得 means “1000 tries, one success,” or “[a] thousand tries [leads to] one success.”

This proverb is a humble way to express your success, ideas, or accomplishments. As if you are a fool who just got lucky in inventing or creating something.

Translations for this proverb include:
Even without any notable ability on my part, I may still get it right sometimes by good luck.
Even a fool may sometimes come up with a good idea.

Compare this to the English idiom, “Even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

樂天 is about being optimistic and also making the best of whatever life throws at you.

This is hard to define. One dictionary defines this as “acceptance of fate and happy about it.” There is one English word equivalent, which is sanguinity or sanguinary.

You can also say that this means “Be happy with whatever Heaven provides,” or “Find happiness in whatever fate Heaven bestows upon you.” 樂天 suggests being an optimist in life.

Note: This is sometimes a given name in China.

Please note that Japanese tend to write the first character in a slightly-different form (as seen to the right). Let us know if you have a preference when you place your order.

煢煢孑立形影相吊 is a Chinese proverb about the state of being as alone as you possibly can be.

It can be translated as “Alone with only your shadow for comfort/company.”

See Also:  I Miss You

手不釋卷 is a Chinese proverb that literally means “always with a book in hand.”

It's a proverb said of a hardworking scholar or student.

This may refer to a student or scholar who is diligent and hardworking. It's a great gift for a student or scholar who loves books.

金似金挨玉似玉 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: [One who is] close to gold [is] like gold [and one who is] close to jade [is] like jade.

Figuratively, this means:
A good environment produces good people.
People are influenced by the company they keep.

Basically, if you hang out with good people, you are likely to become or stay good yourself. The opposite also is true. 挨This is like the moral version of “You are what you eat.”

Note: In Japanese, they have a similar phrase, 類は友を呼ぶ (rui wa tomo o yobu) Birds of a feather flock together. However, this is not a good meaning, so we’re not offering it for wall scrolls.

理直氣壯 is a Chinese proverb that means “to do something while knowing you’re in the right.”

This can also be translated as and is appropriate when you are:

“In the right and self-confident”
“Bold and confident with justice on one's side”
“Having the courage of one's convictions”
“Justified and forceful”
“To be confident and vigorous because reason and logic are on one's side”
“Justified and confident”

尊厳死 is not a good choice for a wall scroll unless you have a very specific and personal reason.

This was added at the request of a customer.

尊厳死 means “death with dignity” or “natural death” (as opposed to extending one's life unnaturally with life support).

花開花落 is a complete proverb that lightly speaks of the cycle of life, or how things come and go in life.

This is used as a metaphor to suggest that youth is a temporary state that in time will pass.

This can also be used to suggest that fortunes can come and go (everything is temporary).

Note: There are two very similar versions of this proverb. The other uses a word that means wither instead of fall.

花は咲き花は散る is a Japanese proverb about the cycle of life, or how things come and go in life.

This can be used to suggest that youth, fortune, and life can come and go (everything is temporary).

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

花開花謝 is a complete proverb that lightly speaks of the cycle of life, or how things come and go in life.

This is used as a metaphor to suggest that youth is a temporary state, which in time, will pass.

This proverb can be used to suggest that fortunes can come and go (everything is temporary).

Note: There are two very similar versions of this proverb. The other uses a word that means fall instead of wither.

華 means blooming flowers or splendid China.

華 is really open to interpretation. 華 meant flowers or blooming in ancient China. It still has that meaning in Japanese, and Buddhist contexts.

In modern China, this means glorious, beautiful, splendid, magnificent, or the best part of something. It can also refer to the country of China or something Chinese (such as people - overseas Chinese are often called “hua ren”). 華 is also a surname in China.

In Japanese, this can be the female given name “Ririka.” It's also the short name for a certain kind of playing cards in Japan.

In Korean, This can be the surname “Hwa.” While it also means splendid, flowery, or the country of China in Korean.

花落 means flower fall (closes and loses its petals).

It suggests nearing the end of something. A time that some might call “The sunset of life.” 花落 often follows 花開 or “flower open” to talk of the cycle of life.

We offer this as a possible companion to a “flower open” scroll (to be placed side by side or at either side of a doorway to say “things come and go” - a cool metaphor for a doorway). If placed in a doorway, it could be used to suggest to your guests that things bloom when they arrive through your door but wither when they leave (a great compliment).

See Also:  Flowers Bloom

弗勞爾斯 is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the family name Flowers.

This sounds like "Flowers" in Mandarin Chinese but does not mean flowers in any way, shape or form. I strongly suggest the single character which means "flower" in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

See Also:  Flower

杯水車薪 is a warning against a futile effort.

This proverb literally refers to one who is “trying to put out a burning cart of wood with a cup of water,” or “throw a cup of water on a cartload of wood.” The lesson to be learned is about using the right measure or tool for the job and not wasting your effort if you are inadequately equipped for the task at hand - in other words the postscript should be “go get a bucket or a fire hose.”

The direct translation of the Chinese characters, 上帝与你常在, is “God Together [with] You Always Exist.”

Keep in mind that Chinese grammar is sometimes very different from English. This makes perfect sense in Chinese.

Note: The title for God is the first two characters - the other words in the direct translation represent one character each.

神さまが守るように is about as close as you can get to, “God Bless You” in Japanese.

This literally means “[May] God Protect [You].” It can also mean “God is Always With You,” as the word in this phrase that means “protect” can also mean to follow or be with. In fact, the Japanese dictionary entry for that word reads like this: to protect; to guard; to defend; to keep (i.e. a promise); to abide; to observe; to follow.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

I was going to write this phrase as “God is with me always” but as a wall scroll, hanging in your room, it is talking to you (you're not talking), so it works better with you.

上帝總是與你同在 is a nice phrase that any Chinese Christian would enjoy on his/her wall.

If I annotate this, it sounds a little strange in English but it's perfectly natural in Chinese:
上帝 God | 总是 always | 与 and | 你 you | 同 together | 在 existing

神さまはいつも私と一緒にいる is a Japanese phrase that means “God is always with me.”

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

神さまはいつも貴方と一緒にいる is a Japanese phrase that means “God is always with you.”

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

隨波逐流 is a Chinese proverb that means to drift with the waves and go with the flow.

This can be positive or negative, as it can also be used to mean following the crowd blindly.

波に乗る is a Japanese proverb that means to go with the flow or to go with the times.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

This Japanese proverb simply reads, “[In] Flowers it's Cherry Blossoms, [In] Men it's Warriors.”

花は櫻木人は武士 is meant to say that of all the flowers in the world, the cherry blossom is the best. And of all men in the world, the Samurai or Warrior is the best

This proverb has been around for a long time. It's believed to have been composed sometime before the Edo Period in Japan (which started in 1603).

Some will drop one syllable and pronounce this, “hana wa sakura hito wa bushi.” That's “sakura” instead of “sakuragi,” which is like saying “cherry blossom” instead of “cherry tree.”

The third character was traditionally written as 櫻. But in modern Japan, that became 桜. You may still see 櫻 used from time to time on older pieces of calligraphy. We can do either one, so just make a special request if you want 櫻.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

拈華微笑 is a Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Buddhist title that relays the idea of “heart-to-heart communication,” or “thought transference.”

The literal translation is, “holding a flower and subtly smiling,” or “the holding of a flower with a subtle smile.” It is the visual act and emotion that communicates more volume than words can say.

執子之手, 與子偕老 is a sweet Chinese phrase that means “Hold hands with you, grow old with you.”

In China, 哄堂大笑 is a proverb that is used in response to a good joke or witty comment.

The story goes that Mr. Feng and Mr. He were both senior officials in the Song Dynasty (about a thousand years ago). One day, Mr. Feng walked into their shared office wearing a new pair of boots. The boots caught the eye of Mr. He who said, “New boots! - how much were they?.” Mr. Feng lifted one of the boots off the ground as if to show it off and responded, “900 coins.”
Astonished, Mr. Feng explained, “900? How can that be? - I paid 1800 coins for my boots!.” Mr. Feng then lifted his other foot off the ground and said, “This boot was also 900 coins.”

It is said that the whole room was shaking from the laughter of all that heard Mr. Feng's joke on Mr. He.

勇気百倍 means to inspire someone with fresh courage or redoubled courage in Japanese.

The Kanji breakdown:
勇気 (yuuki) courage; bravery; valour; valor; nerve; boldness.
百 (hyaku) 100; hundred.
倍 (bai) twice; double; 2-times; 2-fold.

千里之行始於足下 is a Chinese proverb that means “a thousand-mile journey begins with the first step.”

This proverb figuratively means “big accomplishments come from an accumulation of little achievements made one by one.”

千里の道も一歩から is the Japanese version of an ancient Chinese proverb that means “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Some will also translate this as a 1000-mile road starts with one brick (a small amount).

In this case, the real measurement is an ancient Chinese “li” or 里, which is romanized as “ri” in Japanese. It's about half a kilometer, so three 里 would be a western mile. A journey of 333 miles begins with a single step, just doesn't sound as natural.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

闇打狐狸明打狼 is a Chinese proverb that translates as: Hunt foxes stealthily, [and] hunt wolves openly [just as they do].

Figuratively, this means:
Different opponents require different appropriate strategies.

This is a suggestion that you should know your enemy and know that each enemy is different, therefore requires a specialized approach (attack).

See Also:  Art of War Military

This figuratively means “Without a teacher, how can we learn/mature?”

人非生而知之者熟能無惑 is a philosophic pondering by Han Yu, a Tang Dynasty essayist, and philosopher (618-907 A.D.). This is a Chinese proverb that can be translated as “Knowledge is not innate to man, how can we overcome doubt?” or, “We are not born with knowledge, how does one achieve maturity?.”

This infers that we need the guidance of a teacher if we wish to learn, mature, and become better.

愛のある人生 is a Japanese phrase that means “Life with Love.”

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

虛己以聽 is a Chinese proverb that means to listen to the ideas of others with an open mind.

移山 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja for “to remove mountains” or “to move a mountain.”

Figuratively, this means you can accomplish the impossible by sheer persistence.

移山 is the short form of a proverb about a man who had much persistence and could move a whole mountain (a bucket of soil at a time).

無雨無花 means “No Rain, No Flowers” in Chinese.

常在河邊走哪能不濕鞋 is an old Chinese proverb that is sometimes compared to the English saying “Shit Happens.”

It's a reflection that there are risks in life, and you should not be surprised when things don't go your way.

A secondary translation might be, “When walking by a river, often one cannot avoid wet shoes.”

開花 literally means opening flowers (a verb).

開花 is also associated with Springtime, the beginning of something, or youth.

If you like flowers and Springtime, this is a great selection for you.

In Korean Hanja, this can be a metaphor for achieving enlightenment or becoming civilized (blooming civilization).

See Also:  Flowers Fall

我隻願和你在一起 is a Chinese phrase that is the rough equivalent of, “You are the one I want to be with,” or “I only wish to be with you.”

勤儉起家 is a Chinese proverb that suggests you begin to rise up by thrift and hard work.

Diligent work and spending money wisely will almost always pay off.

赠人玫瑰手留余香 is a proverb that has been translated several ways:

1. Roses given, fragrance in hand.

2. You present others roses, and the fragrance remains.

3. The fragrance of the rose always remains on the hand of those that bestow them.

4. A little bit of fragrance always clings to the hands which gives the flowers

However, this literally translates as “Give someone rose flowers, [your] hands keep [the] remaining fragrance.”

思い切り can be translated as “with all one's strength,” “with all one's heart,” “to the limits of your heart,” or “to the end of your heart/emotions.”

The character breakdown:
思い (omoi) thought; mind; heart; feelings; emotion; sentiment; love; affection; desire; wish; hope; expectation; imagination; experience
切り (kiri) bounds; limits.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

一味同心 is a Japanese phrase that refers to people working together with one mind.

齊心協力 is a Chinese proverb that means “to work with a common purpose,” “to make concerted efforts,” “to pull together,” or “to work as one (or as if with one heart).”