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Eiko-Seisui
This Japanese proverb can be translated as “flourish and wither, prosper and perish,” “life is full of fortune and misfortune,” or simply “vicissitudes of life.”
栄枯盛衰 / 榮枯盛衰 is about the rise and fall of human affairs or the ups and downs of life. Prosperity comes and goes, everything is fleeting and temporary, but like waves, another swell of prosperity may come.
Here's how the Kanji break down in this proverb:
栄 = prosper; thrive; flourish; boom.
枯 = wither; die.
盛 = prosperous; flourishing; thriving; successful; energetic; vigorous; enthusiastic.
衰 = become weaker; decline; get weak; die down; subside; abate; fail.
Notes: The original version of the first character looks like the image to the right. In modern Japan, they simplified that Kanji a bit into the version shown above. If you have a preference for which style is used for your calligraphy, please let me know when you place your order.
Apparently, with that original version of the first character, this is also used in Korean Hanja. However, I have not confirmed that
it’s
used in the same way or is widely-known in Korean.
Meaning: Survival of the fittest
弱肉強食 is a Japanese and Chinese proverb that literally means “The weak are meat; the strong eat” or “The weak are prey to the strong.”
The closest English version is, “Survival of the fittest.” It also fits with the ideas of, “predatory behavior,” or “The law of the jungle.”
Below are some entries from our dictionary that may match your weak search...
Characters If shown, 2nd row is Simp. Chinese |
Pronunciation Romanization |
Simple Dictionary Definition |
和 see styles |
huò huo4 huo wataru わたる |
More info & calligraphy: Peace / Harmony(1) (mathematics term) sum; (2) harmony; peace; (n,n-pref,adj-no) (3) Japan; Japanese-style; (noun or adjectival noun) (kana only) soft; fragile; weak; poorly built; insubstantial; (adj-nari) (archaism) tranquil; calm; quiet; peaceful; calm (at sea); lull; (given name) Wataru Harmony, peace; to blend, mix; with, unite with; respond, rhyme. |
熊 see styles |
xióng xiong2 hsiung kuma(p); kuma(p) くま(P); クマ(P) |
More info & calligraphy: Bearbear (any mammal of family Ursidae); (personal name) Yū A bear. |
弱肉強食 弱肉强食 see styles |
ruò ròu qiáng shí ruo4 rou4 qiang2 shi2 jo jou ch`iang shih jo jou chiang shih jakunikukyoushoku / jakunikukyoshoku じゃくにくきょうしょく |
More info & calligraphy: The Weak are Meat, The Strong Eat(yoji) the law of the jungle; the strong prey on the weak; the weak become the victim of the strong |
傷 伤 see styles |
shāng shang1 shang shō きず |
to injure; injury; wound (1) wound; injury; cut; gash; bruise; scratch; scrape; scar; (2) chip; crack; scratch; nick; (3) flaw; defect; weakness; weak point; (4) stain (on one's reputation); disgrace; dishonor; dishonour; (5) (emotional) hurt; hurt feelings To injure, wound, hurt, harm, distress, A tr. of yakṣa. |
儜 see styles |
níng ning2 ning |
weak; wearied; in distress |
創 创 see styles |
chuàng chuang4 ch`uang chuang motomu もとむ |
to initiate; to create; to achieve (something for the first time) (1) wound; injury; cut; gash; bruise; scratch; scrape; scar; (2) chip; crack; scratch; nick; (3) flaw; defect; weakness; weak point; (4) stain (on one's reputation); disgrace; dishonor; dishonour; (5) (emotional) hurt; hurt feelings; (personal name) Motomu |
婥 see styles |
chuò chuo4 ch`o cho |
weak; delicate |
嬬 see styles |
xū xu1 hsü |
mistress, concubine; weak |
孱 see styles |
chán chan2 ch`an chan |
(bound form) weak; feeble |
寙 see styles |
yǔ yu3 yü |
bad; useless; weak |
弱 see styles |
ruò ruo4 jo jaku じゃく |
weak; feeble; young; inferior; not as good as; (following a decimal or fraction) slightly less than (suffix) (1) (ant: 強・1) a little less than; a little under; slightly fewer than; (2) (ant: 強・2) weakness; the weak; low (setting); (suffix) (3) (after a number on the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale; e.g. 5弱) (ant: 強・4) -lower (seismic intensity) weak |
淡 see styles |
dàn dan4 tan dan だん |
insipid; diluted; weak; mild; light in color; tasteless; indifferent; (variant of 氮[dan4]) nitrogen (surname) Dan light (color, flavor) |
瑕 see styles |
xiá xia2 hsia ka きず |
blemish; flaw in jade (1) wound; injury; cut; gash; bruise; scratch; scrape; scar; (2) chip; crack; scratch; nick; (3) flaw; defect; weakness; weak point; (4) stain (on one's reputation); disgrace; dishonor; dishonour; (5) (emotional) hurt; hurt feelings a flaw |
瓤 see styles |
ráng rang2 jang |
pulp (of fruit); something inside a covering; bad; weak |
疵 see styles |
cī ci1 tz`u tzu kizu きず |
blemish; flaw; defect (1) wound; injury; cut; gash; bruise; scratch; scrape; scar; (2) chip; crack; scratch; nick; (3) flaw; defect; weakness; weak point; (4) stain (on one's reputation); disgrace; dishonor; dishonour; (5) (emotional) hurt; hurt feelings |
短 see styles |
duǎn duan3 tuan mijika みじか |
short; brief; to lack; weak point; fault (pref,suf) short; brief; (personal name) Iyama short |
窳 see styles |
yǔ yu3 yü |
bad; useless; weak |
細 细 see styles |
xì xi4 hsi hoso ほそ |
thin or slender; finely particulate; thin and soft; fine; delicate; trifling; (of a sound) quiet; frugal (1) (abbreviation) (See 細引き,細糸) fine thread; hempen cord; (prefix noun) (2) slender; narrow; weak; (suffix noun) (3) (as ぼそ) narrowness; (surname) Hososaki Fine, small, minute, in detail: careful. |
綿 绵 see styles |
mián mian2 mien watazaki わたざき |
silk floss; continuous; soft; weak; mild-mannered (dialect) cotton; (surname) Watazaki cotton |
羸 see styles |
léi lei2 lei rui るい |
entangled; lean (obscure) weakness; weakening; tiring weak |
耎 see styles |
ruǎn ruan3 juan nen |
archaic variant of 軟|软[ruan3] weak |
脆 see styles |
cuì cui4 ts`ui tsui sumitomo すみとも |
brittle; fragile; crisp; crunchy; clear and loud voice; neat (personal name) Sumitomo weak |
荏 see styles |
rěn ren3 jen e え |
beefsteak plant (Perilla frutescens); soft; weak (archaism) (See 荏胡麻) egoma (type of perilla); Perilla frutescens var. frutescens Nimi ; Nemi |
菜 see styles |
cài cai4 ts`ai tsai na な |
vegetable; greens (CL:棵[ke1]); dish (of food) (CL:樣|样[yang4],道[dao4],盤|盘[pan2]); (of one's skills etc) weak; poor; (coll.) (one's) type (1) greens; vegetables; (2) rape (Brassica napus); rapeseed; (female given name) Nano vegetables |
虛 虚 see styles |
xū xu1 hsü kyo |
emptiness; void; abstract theory or guiding principles; empty or unoccupied; diffident or timid; false; humble or modest; (of health) weak; virtual; in vain śūnya. Empty, vacant; unreal, unsubstantial, untrue; space; humble; in vain. |
跙 see styles |
jǔ ju3 chü |
weak, lame |
醪 see styles |
láo lao2 lao moromi もろみ mosoro もそろ |
wine or liquor with sediment (1) (kana only) main fermenting mash (in production of sake or soy sauce); unrefined sake or soy sauce; (can act as adjective) (2) (kana only) unrefined (sake, soy sauce, etc.); rough; (archaism) weak sake; unrefined sake |
隙 see styles |
xì xi4 hsi geki ひま |
crack; crevice; gap or interval; loophole; discord; rift gap; space; (1) gap; space; (2) break; interlude; interval; (3) chink (in one's armor, armour); chance; opportunity; weak spot; (1) gap; space; (2) chink (in one's armor, armour); chance; opportunity; weak spot; (3) breach (of a relationship between people) A crack, crevice, rift; translit. kha. |
飄 飘 see styles |
piāo piao1 p`iao piao |
to float (in the air); to flutter; to waft; complacent; frivolous; weak; shaky; wobbly |
㞞 𪨊 see styles |
sóng song2 sung |
(coll.) semen; (coll.) weak and incompetent |
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Rise and Fall Ups and Downs | 栄枯盛衰 / 榮枯盛衰 荣枯盛衰 | ei ko sei sui eikoseisui | ||
The Weak are Meat, The Strong Eat | 弱肉強食 | jaku niku kyoo shoku jakunikukyooshoku jaku niku kyo shoku | ruò ròu qiáng shí ruo4 rou4 qiang2 shi2 ruo rou qiang shi ruorouqiangshi | jo jou ch`iang shih jojouchiangshih jo jou chiang shih |
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. |
Successful Chinese Character and Japanese Kanji calligraphy searches within the last few hours...
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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