The Name Spirit Of The Dragon Martial Arts in Chinese/Japanese on a Personalized Wall Scroll.

龍之魂武術 is the title Spirit Of The Dragon Martial Arts in Chinese.

This can also be translated as “Dragon Soul Martial Arts.”

子を持って知る親の恩 literally translates as: Only after you have a baby, you would appreciate your parents (feel the way they do, etc).

This is a bit like the “walk a mile in another man's shoes” saying. Basically, it's about you cannot fully understand the plight of others until you experience it yourself. It also shows appreciation for the plight of parents.

This Japanese proverb can also be translated a few more ways:

No man knows what he owes to his parents till he comes to have children of his own.

One knows not what one owes to one's parents till one comes to have children of one's own.

Only after you have a baby, you will appreciate your parents or feel the way they do.

Only after becoming a parent yourself do you realize how much you owe [how indebted you are] to your own parents.

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

花鳥風月 is the Japanese Kanji proverb for “Beauties of Nature.”

The dictionary definition is “the traditional themes of natural beauty in Japanese aesthetics.”

The Kanji each represents an element of nature that constitutes beauty in traditional Japanese art and culture.

The Kanji breakdown:
花 = ka = flower (also pronounced “hana”)
鳥 = chou = bird (also pronounced “tori”).
風 = fuu = wind (also pronounced “kaze”).
月 = getsu = moon (also pronounced “tsuki”)

美しい魂 is a common way to write “Beautiful Soul” in Japanese.

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

美魂 is a very short or abbreviated way to say “Beautiful Soul” in Japanese.

There is a more extended version that might be a little more natural and also closer to the intended meaning. This short title is often translated awkwardly as “Beauty Soul” in Japanese.

美しい精神 is a common way to write “Beautiful Spirit” in Japanese.

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

美しさは見る人の目の中にある means “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” in Japanese.

Japanese grammar and word order are different than English, but I will partially break this down for you:
美しさ = Beauty
は = is/relates
見る = to look/see
人の = person's
目の = eye's
中にあ = inside
る = !

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

最愛 is a Japanese word that means the best love, beloved, or most sincere love of your life.

This could be a romantic love such as your love for your spouse or a boyfriend/girlfriend.

It can also apply to the extreme love you have for your children or a parent and maybe a really good friend.

至福感 is “feelings of bliss” in Japanese.

A breakdown of the Kanji in this title:
至福 (shifuku) beatitude; supreme bliss.
感 (kan) feeling; sensation; emotion; admiration; impression.

This Japanese word speaks of the quality of your personality, character, personal appearance, or gentility.

神の子 is “Child of God” in Japanese.

神惠 can be translated as “God's Blessing,” “Blessed by God,” or “Divine Blessing” in Japanese Kanji.

天皇 is the title of the Emperor of Japan.

This title is used in China, Korea, and Japan to refer specifically to the Emperor of Japan.

This Japanese proverb reads, “failure/mistake/blunder/defeat is the origin of success.”

It suggests that failures or defeats are a necessary part of success.

失敗は成功の元 is often translated as “Failure is a stepping stone to success.”

Note: There are a few similar variations of this idiom in Japanese.

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

See Also:  Failure is a Stepping Stone to Success

失敗は成功の母 is a Japanese proverb that means exactly what you think.

Every failure that you experience is a chance to learn from it and find success.

Knowing what does not work is just as important as finding out what does work.

Note: This is the Japanese version of an ancient Chinese proverb.

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

See Also:  Experience is the Mother of Wisdom

This literally means “fighting spirit” or “the will to fight.”

As in the spirit that a warrior, soldier, athlete, or fighter must possess.

闘魂 is an alternate title with the meaning “fighting spirit” or “the will to fight.”

闘気 is an alternate Japanese title for “fighting spirit.”

This one is more like “fighting energy.” The second character is “ki,” the same “ki” in Aikido. This “ki” is the spiritual energy that all martial arts practitioners must master and focus on.

勇者は幸運に恵まれる is a Japanese proverb that suggests that in history, the brave or courageous tend to be the ones who win.

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

自由な精神 is very similar to the English term “free spirit.”

The first two characters mean freedom or liberty.

The middle character is a connecting Hiragana which is needed for Japanese grammar.

The last two characters mean spirit, heart, mind, or soul.

See Also:  Freedom | Independence

愛の神 is the Japanese title for Amor, Eros, Venus, or God of Love.

軍神 is a Japanese title meaning god of war, or war hero.

This can also be the surname Gunshin.

春宵一刻 is a Japanese proverb that means “A moment of time in a spring evening (is worth a thousand pieces of gold).”

神の恩恵 means God's Grace in Japanese.

The first two characters act to create a word that means “divine,” “God's,” or “The Spirit's.”

The last two Kanji mean grace, favor/favour, blessing, or benefit.

万里の長城 is the Japanese name for the Great Wall of China.

根性論 is a Japanese title that refers to the belief that where there's a will, there's a way.

Another way to translate this is “The Guts Theory” or “The Doctrine of Will-Power.” Maybe breaking down the meaning of the characters will help clarify this:
根性 = will-power; guts; temper; nature; spirit; nature and character; the nature of the powers of any sense.
論 = theory; doctrine; treatises on dogma, philosophy, discipline, etc.

傑物 is a Japanese title that can mean “great man,” “heroic figure,” or “remarkable character.”

You would be giving someone a great honor by presenting this wall scroll to them as a gift.

家とは心がある場所だ is, “Home is where the heart is,” in Japanese.

Most Japanese will take this to mean:
If you are with the person or at the place you love most, it becomes your true home.

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

ホセア書 is how to write Hosea (as a book of the Bible) in Japanese.

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

不屈の精神 is one of several versions or ways to write “Indomitable Spirit” in Japanese.

This one is the famous “Fukutsu no Seishin” phrase.

負けじ魂 is a Japanese proverb that means “indomitable spirit” or “unyielding spirit.”

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

内面美 is a three-character title that speaks of beauty on the inside.

It's not about outward or physical beauty but rather the inner beauty possessed by someone. This can also be translated as “beauty of spirit.”

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.

天国 is the same meaning and pronunciation as our other entry for “Kingdom of Heaven,” but the second character was simplified in Japan and mainland China to this version.

Choose the appearance that you like best (they will be somewhat universally understood - as most people are aware of this simplification in places where they still use all traditional characters - such as Taiwan and Hong Kong). You can consider the other version to be the “ancient version.”

This Japanese proverb means “life full of love” or “life filled with love.”

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

幸福と繁栄の人生 is a Japanese proverb that means “A life of happiness and prosperity” or “A life of happiness and success.”

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

See Also:  Prosperity

人生は作るもの means “life is what you make of it,” in Japanese.

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

If you believe that life is a journey, this is a nice Japanese title for your wall.

人生行路 means “journey of life” in Japanese Kanji. The actual word order is more like “life (人生) journey (行路)” as Japanese grammar is a bit different than English.

Note: The “journey” part can also be translated as “road,” so this is also how to say “the road of life.”

愛に満ちた生活 is a Japanese phrase that means “a loving life” or “life filled with love.”

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

悠悠閑閑 means “life of serenity” in Japanese.

However, it can also have these meanings depending on how it's read: “composed and unhurried,” “easygoing and leisurely,” “in indolence,” or “life of idleness.”

突貫 is a Japanese word that can be translated as lightning attack, charge, or rush.

It's about a fast run or attack at the speed of lightning.

今を生きる is a Japanese phrase that can be translated as “live for the day,” “live for the moment,” “seize the day,” or “make the most of the present.”

You can think of this as the Japanese version of “Carpe Diem.”

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

人生謳歌 means “live for what you love” in Japanese.

The first two characters mean “human life” or simply “living.” The last two characters mean “merit,” “prosperity,” or “what you enjoy.” This phrase can suggest working or staying busy for your own goals (in your career).

See Also:  Prosperity

現世 is a very short way to write “live in the moment” or “live in the now” in Japanese.

This short word is open to interpretation. It's used in Japanese Buddhism to mean “the current epoch” or “the current age” (the current age is but a brief moment in the greater scope of existence). In that context, this is pronounced “utsushiyo” or “ustusiyo” in Japanese. Otherwise, it's pronounced “gensei” in Japanese.

Other translation possibilities include:

Note: This is also a word in Chinese and old Korean Hanja. While the meaning is more or less the same, this is not recommended for a wall scroll if your audience is Chinese or Korean. This selection is best if your audience is Japanese.

人生悔い無し is how to say “live without regrets” in Japanese.

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

See Also:  Live for Today

Because a word list of “Live Laugh Love” is not natural in Japanese, this takes the concept and incorporates it into a proper phrase.

愛と笑いの生活 can be translated as “A life of love and laughter” or “Live life with love and laughter.”

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

マリ共和國 is The Republic of Mali in Japanese.

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

海兵 is a way to express “Marine” as in an individual “Soldier of the Sea” in Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja characters (not to be confused with Korean Hangul).

Breaking down each character, this means:
“ocean/sea soldier/army/warrior.”

Please note that this Japanese/Korean version kind of means “sailor” or “navy” in Chinese.

See Also:  Military

総合格闘技 is a Japanese title for mixed martial arts or MMA.

Note: Some will use other titles for this rather new word or evolving concept. This seems to be the most common right now in the Japanese language.

乗り換える is the Japanese way to say “move on.” This can also be translated as “to change one's mind,” “to change methods,” or “to change one's way of thinking.” For instance, if you changed your love interest or political ideology, you might describe the act of that change with this title.

Colloquially in Japan, this is also used to describe the act of transferring trains or changing from one bus or train to another.

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

恋の悩み is a Japanese title that refers to anyone having love troubles (experiencing the pain of love).

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

痛みは体から抜ける弱さ is how to write “pain is weakness leaving the body” in Japanese.

I remember this being shouted a lot during U.S. Marine Corps boot camp.

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

忍耐は心の平和をもたらす means “patience brings peace of mind,” in Japanese.

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

人格者 is a Japanese and Korean title that means “person of character.”

人格者 is unisex, so it can also be used to mean “man of character,” or “woman of character.”

落着き is a Japanese word that means calmness, composure, presence of mind, stability, or steadiness.

夢を追い続ける is the Japanese way to express “pursue your dreams,” “follow your dreams,” or “chase your dreams.”

If you have dreams that you want to pursue and make true, this is the phrase for you.

The first character is “dream” or “dreams.” The rest of the characters establish the idea of chasing or pursuing.

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

See Also:  Pursuit of Happiness

幸福を求めて is “Pursuit of Happiness” or “In Search of Happiness” in Japanese.

Here's how the characters break down:
幸福 (koufuku) happiness; blessedness; joy; well-being.
を (o) particle
求め (motome) to want; to seek; to pursue; to request
て (te) particle

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

See Also:  Follow Your Dreams

This literally translates as “the red string” or “the red thread” in Japanese, but the real meaning is much deeper...

In Japanese culture, it's believed that fate, destiny, or karma joins lovers by an unseen string, tied around one little finger of each. 赤い糸 is how soul mates find and are drawn to each other.

The Japanese concept of the red thread of fate, by most estimations, comes from Chinese folklore, where it's known as 姻緣紅線. The only difference is that in China, the celestial red thread is tied around the ankles of the lovers (versus what is usually represented as the pinky finger in Japan).

輪回 is a universal word in Japanese and Chinese that expresses the Buddhist idea of “reincarnation,” “transmigration of souls,” or “the eternal cycle of birth and death.”

In some contexts, this can also mean “karma,” and others will say it represents “samsara.”

The first character means wheel, ring, turn, circle, loop, or rotate.
The second character can be thought of as a suffix meaning “-times.” This second character can also refer to something that revolves, returns, goes back, or is a counter of the number of occurrences of some event.
Together the sum supersedes the parts, and it means reincarnation. But knowing the essence of each character may help you understand some of the meaning behind the word.

Shown to the right is the more common way to write the second character in Japanese. it’s an alternate form of this character in Chinese (so neither way is technically wrong in either language). If you select a Japanese calligrapher, expect that is will look like the Kanji to the right.

See Also:  Buddhism | Rebirth

幸福の学校 means “School of Happiness” in Japanese.

This is not a common phrase in Japanese, but it will be understood.

笑いの壺 is the Japanese way to say “sense of humor” (humour), or colloquially a way to say “funny bone.”

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

独身贵族 is a Japanese proverb that means “Single Aristocrat” or “Single Noble.”

The understood meaning is that single people can live freely without a spouse or kids to support them. To put it in an old cliché, they are footloose and fancy-free.

If you are a bachelor or bachelorette with few responsibilities and just a thirst for freedom and a worry-free life, this could be your title.

神兵 is a Japanese, Chinese, and Korean title that means “soldier dispatched by a god,” or “soldier under the protection of the gods.”

神兵 is used more in Japanese (especially in animation) than the other languages.

風雲児 is “soldier of fortune” in Japanese.

It can also be read as “lucky adventurer” or “adventurer who takes advantage of troubled times.”

気の強い means strong-willed or strong of heart in Japanese.

Here's the character breakdown of this Japanese title:
気 (ki) spirit; mind; heart; nature; motivation; intention; feelings; essence.
の (no) possessive particle.
強い (tsuyoi) strong; powerful; mighty; potent; resistant; resilient; durable.

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

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.

強いもの means “strong one,” in Japanese.

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

選ばれし者 is a Japanese title that means “The chosen one” but can also refer to “The select few” or “the chosen ones.”
The last character clarifies that the “one” refers to a person or persons (male or female).

This can also be written 撰ばれし者 or 択ばれし者 with the same pronunciation and meaning. The one shown above is the most common way to write it.

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

フォース is how Japanese will write The Force, as in Star Wars.

This is phonetic, so it's meant to sound like the English word “force” rather than mean force in Japanese.

Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

三位一体 is the modern Japanese version of the Holy Trinity.

Some will romanize this as Sanmittai or Sanmiittai.

虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず is the Japanese version of an ancient Chinese proverb. 虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず is a reminder that you must take risks if you want the reward.

虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず is similar to the English proverb, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

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

壊れない means unbreakable in Japanese.

The first two characters mean to be broken, to break, to fall through, and to come to nothing. But the last two characters create a negative meaning (like adding “un-” to “breakable”).

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

See Also:  Indomitable Spirit

This is the United States of America (USA) written in Japanese.

空一面の星 is a Japanese phrase that refers to the sky being like a vast page or face full of stars.

転ばぬ先の杖 is a Japanese proverb that literally translates as: Have a walking stick ready before stumbling.

This is similar to the English idiom, “A stitch in time saves nine.”

In simple terms, this means: Always being prepared in advance.

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

See Also:  Fix Roof Before the Rain; Dig the Well Before You Are Thirsty

神の兵士 means “Warrior of God” or “Soldier of God” in Japanese.

戦士魂 is “warrior soul” or “warrior spirit” in Japanese.

Here's the breakdown of the Kanji:

戦士 (senshi) warrior; soldier; combatant; fighter.

魂 (damashii/tamashii) soul; spirit; can sometimes mean “ghost.”

中の戦士 means “The Warrior Within” in Japanese.

武士の一言金鉄の如し is an old Japanese proverb about the value of the word of a warrior.

Here are a couple of versions of how this can be translated:

A warrior's single word is as unchanging and reliable as gold and steel.
A warrior's promise is as dependable as gold, and his [scabbard contains] untarnished steel (a sword).

Note: Sometimes this phrase is written as 男子の一言、金鉄の如し (danshi no ichigon kintetsu no gotoshi)

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

波の道 is the simple way to write “The Way of the Wave” in Japanese.

I added this at the request of several customers. 波の道 is not a very common Japanese phrase.

波 = Wave
の = Of
道 = Way
The word order is the opposite of English. Most Japanese phrases that end in “の道” are translated to English as “The Way of...”

Technically, you could write “波道” as a shorter version of “The Way of the Wave.” However, without context, 波道 can mean channel or suggest a path to redirect ocean flow.

智を求める者 means “seeker of wisdom” in Japanese.

To break it down:
智 is wisdom.
を is a particle that connects wisdom to the next idea.
求める is a transitive verb that means to want, to wish for, to ask for, to seek, to search for, to look for, or to pursue.
者 is a literary way to write “person.”

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

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 controversial Buddhist koan means “On encountering Buddha, you should kill him.”

This is the short concise Japanese version of an original statement by ninth-century Chinese Buddhist monk Linji Yixuan, “If You Meet The Buddha On The Road, Kill Him.”

This takes some explaining... The concept here is that if you think you have seen, experienced, or achieved true enlightenment, the chances that you really have are so slim that you should kill or dismiss that idea.

Another suggestion is that one's path to becoming a Buddha is one's own, and one should not get caught up in religious fervor, and avoid “showing off” that they are a Buddhist.

Helpful references for this concept:
Lion's Roar addresses "If You Meet The Buddha On The Road, Kill Him"
Kill the Buddha

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

コンゴ民主共和国 is the Japanese name for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).

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

道場へようこそ or “Dōjō e yōkoso” means “Welcome to the dojo” or “welcome to [our] dojo” in Japanese.

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

人の道 is the Japanese way to express the “moral way of life,” “correct path,” or “moral principles.”

天竜人 is Celestial Dragon or Tenryūbito in Japanese.

This title is associated with the One Piece Manga/Anime series. This title is also translated in this context as “World Nobles” with the literal meaning “Heavenly Dragon Folk” or “Heaven Dragon Person/People.”

Can also be romanized as Tenryūbito, Tenryūhito, or Tenryūjin.

ハワイ諸島 is name of the Hawaiian Islands in Japanese.

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

This is the Japanese name for the Call Of Duty video game.

Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

ビートルズ is the title of The Beatles in Japanese Katakana.

Sometimes written as ザ・ビートルズ with ザ (za) being a placeholder for the English word “The” - I think just the name Beatles is enough.

Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

百年好合 is a wish or greeting, often heard at Chinese weddings, for a couple to have 100 good years together.

Some will translate this more naturally into English as: “May you live a long and happy life together.”

The character breakdown:
百 = 100
年 = Years
好 = Good (Happy)
合 = Together

国家忠诚父母孝道朋友有信杀生有择临战无退 are the five codes of Tang Soo Do.

I suggest you have this arranged in five columns when you get to the options page for your custom calligraphy wall scroll.

Here are my translations of each of the five codes:
國家忠誠 Be loyal to your country.
父母孝道 In regards to parents, behave in a filial way.
朋友有信 Be faithful in friendship.
殺生有擇 When fighting for life and death, make noble choices.
臨戰無退 No retreat in battle.

Note: “Tang Soo Do” is a romanization of 唐手道. It's 당수도 in Korean Hangul. It can also be romanized as “Tangsudo” or “Dangsudo.”

苦海無邊, 回頭是岸 can be translated almost directly as “The sea of bitterness has no bounds, turn your head to see the shore.”

Often this proverb refers to how Buddhist enlightenment can allow one to shed off the abyss of worldly suffering. But it can apply to other religions. If you find yourself trapped in the hardship of this worldly life, take a new turn, and seek a path to salvation.

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.

練功 is a martial arts term that can mean to practice and attain working skills, feats of practice/practise, or skills acquired through hard training.

練功 is often used as a martial arts term but can apply to other skills (or professions).

現役軍人 means “Active Duty Soldier” or literally “Active Duty Military Person.”

This title is a great way to show pride in being an active duty member of the armed forces.

The first two characters mean “active duty” and the second two characters can be translated as “military personnel,” “soldier,” or “serviceman” (it is unisex, so male or female is not indicated).

See Also:  Military

This proverb creates an image of a warrior bravely advancing against an enemy regardless of the odds.

This proverb can also be translated as “indomitable spirit” or “march fearlessly onward.”

See Also:  Indomitable | Fortitude

冥福 is an unusual Chinese, Japanese, and Korean term that means afterlife happiness, happiness in the next world, or the happiness of the dead.

合気道 is the modern Japanese way to write Aikido.

Aikido is often referred to as the defensive martial art.

While Aikido was born in Japan, it has become a somewhat famous form of defensive tactics taught to soldiers and Marines, as well as some law enforcement officers in the West.

Looking at the characters, the first means “union” or “harmony.”
The second character means “universal energy” or “spirit.”
The third means “way” or “method.”

Please note that while the original 合氣道 characters can be pronounced in Chinese, this word is not well-known in China and is not considered part of the Chinese lexicon.

Note: It is somewhat accepted that this is the origin of Hapkido in Korea. And other than a modern simplification to the middle Kanji of this 3-Kanji word, it is written the same in Korean Hanja.

See Also:  Martial Arts | Hapkido

补漏趁天晴未渴先掘井 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: Mend the roof while the weather is fine, [and when you are] not yet thirsty, dig the well beforehand.

In simple terms, this means: Always being prepared in advance.

See Also:  Have a Walking Stick at the Ready Before You Stumble

天使 is the meaning of Angel in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

The first character means heaven. The second means messenger. Together it makes sense that we are talking about angels as Heaven's Messengers.

If you are an “Angel Junkie,” this may be the wall scroll for you.
I also think it's a great choice if your name happens to be Angel.

See Also:  Angel

所有的成功都無法補償家庭的失敗 is a Chinese proverb that can be translated into English as “No success can compensate for failure in the home.”

Also, the word “home” can be exchanged with “family.”

艾福洛迪特 is one of a couple of ways the name Aphrodite, Goddess of Love is written in Chinese characters.

心印 is a Buddhist concept that simply stated is “appreciation of truth by meditation.”

It's a deep subject, but my understanding is that you can find truth through meditation, and once you've found the truth, you can learn to appreciate it more through further meditation. This title is not commonly used outside of the Buddhist community (your Asian friends may or may not understand it). The literal translation would be something like “the mind seal,” I've seen this term translated this way from Japanese Buddhist poetry. But apparently, the seal that is stamped deep in your mind is the truth. You just have to meditate to find it.

Soothill defines it this way: Mental impression, intuitive certainty; the mind is the Buddha-mind in all, which can seal or assure the truth; the term indicates the intuitive method of the Chan (Zen) school, which was independent of the spoken or written word.

Reference: Soothill-Hodous Dictionary of Chinese Buddhism

See Also:  Zen

醫道 means the art of healing or medical skill.

This can also refer to a Korean TV show, Hur Jun about an ancient doctor. The Chinese-subtitled version of the show is also quite popular in China.

While this is a common title in Chinese and Korean, it's not used as often in Japanese where someone might read it as “medical course” or “the way of medicine.”

愛的藝術 means “art of love” or “art of loving” in Chinese.

This is also the Chinese title of the book “Art of Loving” by Erich Fromm.

兵法 means “Art of War.”

It is also part of the title of a famous book of tactics by Sun Tzu. 兵法 could also be translated as “military strategy and tactics,” “military skills” or “army procedures.” If you are a military tactician, this is the wall scroll for you.

See Also:  Military

道天地將法 is a list of five key points to analyzing your situation from the first chapter of Sun Tzu's Art of War.

This reads like a 5-part military proverb. Sun Tzu says that to sharpen your skills, you must plan. To plan well, you must know your situation. Therefore, you must consider and discuss the following:

1. Philosophy and Politics: Make sure your way or your policy is agreeable among all of your troops (and the citizens of your kingdom as well). For when your soldiers believe in you and your way, they will follow you to their deaths without hesitation and will not question your orders.

2. Heaven/Sky: Consider climate / weather. This can also mean considering whether God is smiling upon you. In the modern military, this could be waiting for clear skies so that you can have air support for an amphibious landing.

3. Ground/Earth: Consider the terrain in which the battle will take place. This includes analyzing defensible positions, and exit routes, while using varying elevations to your advantage. When you plan an ambush, you must know your terrain and the best location from which to stage that ambush. This knowledge will also help you avoid being ambushed, as you will know where the likely places in which to expect an ambush from your enemy.

4. Leadership: This applies to you as the general and your lieutenants. A leader should be smart and be able to develop good strategies. Leaders should keep their word, and if they break a promise, they should punish themselves as harshly as they would punish subordinates. Leaders should be benevolent to their troops, with almost a fatherly love for them. Leaders must have the ability to make brave and fast decisions. Leaders must have steadfast principles.

5. [Military] Methods: This can also mean laws, rules, principles, models, or systems. You must have an efficient organization in place to manage both your troops and supplies. In the modern military, this would be a combination of how your unit is organized and your SOP (Standard Operating Procedure).

Notes: This is a simplistic translation and explanation. Much more is suggested in the actual text of the Art of War (Bing Fa). It would take a lot of study to master all of these aspects. In fact, these five characters can be compared to the modern military acronyms such as BAMCIS or SMEAC.

CJK notes: I have included the Japanese and Korean pronunciations but in Chinese, Korean and Japanese, this does not make a typical phrase (with subject, verb, and object) it is a list that only someone familiar with Sun Tzu’s writings would understand.

孫子兵法 is the full title of the most famous book of military proverbs about warfare.

The English title is “Sun Tzu's The Art of War.”

The last two characters have come to be known in the west as “The Art of War,” but a better translation would be “military strategy and tactics,” “military skills” or “army procedures.”

Note: Sometimes the author's name is Romanized as “Sun Zi” or “Sunzi.”

It's written the same in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja.

See Also:  Military | Warrior

藝術 is a Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean Hanja word that means art, as in fine art, the arts, or artwork.

避其鋭氣擊其惰歸 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: Avoid [your enemy's] fighting spirit [and] attack [when] his [morale is] declining.

Figuratively, this means: Avoid the enemy when his morale is high and strike him when his morale is flagging.

青龍 is a scholarly title for “Blue Dragon” or “Azure Dragon.”

You'll find this title used in ancient Chinese literature and astronomy. This dragon has dominion over the eastern sky or eastern heavens. The Azure Dragon is also noted for representing the spring season. Also seen as an auspicious omen.

Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty canonized the five colored dragons as “kings.” The Azure Dragon represents the most compassionate of kings.

In Japanese, this title is known with the same meaning but can also be a given name, Seiryuu or Seiryu.

Note, the first character can be written as OR . Same character, just two ways to write it.

披頭士 is the most common Chinese title for the Beatles.

Of course, this refers to the famous fab-four music band of the 1960s.

Other less-common titles for the Beatles include 披頭四樂隊 and 披頭四樂團.

In Chinese, 美容 is the title for the art of beauty, as applying makeup or cosmetics to enhance beauty.

Note: In Japanese and Korean, this takes the meaning of beautiful face or beauty of figure or form. Be sure you know who your audience is and have matched the desired meaning.

美麗的靈魂 means “Beautiful Soul” in Chinese.

The first two characters mean beautiful, beauty, or gorgeous.
The middle character connects the ideas (a possessive article).
The last two characters mean soul or spirit.

美麗的心靈 means a beautiful heart, a beautiful mind, or a beautiful spirit in Chinese.

初心 is often translated in Japanese as “beginner's mind” or “beginner's spirit.”

In Chinese, the dictionary definition is “one's original intention.”

The first character means first, initial, primary, junior, beginning, or basic.

The second character means heart, mind, soul, or essence.

初心 is one of the five spirits of the warrior (budo) and is often used as a Japanese martial arts tenet. Under that context, places such as the Budo Dojo define it this way: The state of shoshin is that of a beginners mind. It is a state of awareness that always remains fully conscious, aware, and prepared to see things for the first time. The attitude of shoshin is essential to continued learning.

桔梗 means “Chinese bellflower” in Japanese.

In Chinese, it refers to the “Platycodon grandiflorus” (Platycodon grandiflorum), “balloon flower,” or “bellflower.”

Please note that in Chinese, this particular 2-character title suggests that you are talking about the medicinal herb derived from the stem of this flower/plant.

至愛 can mean the best love or most sincere love of your life.

This could be a romantic love such as your love for your spouse or a boyfriend/girlfriend.

It can also apply to the extreme love you have for your children or a parent and maybe a really good friend.

See Also:  I Love You

提防律師 is a kind of Chinese joke about lawyers.

The first two characters mean “guard yourself against (an attack)” or “beware.”
The last two characters can be translated as lawyer, attorney, or solicitor.

Separately, those characters mean law/regulation/control and master/expert/teacher. Here, you can see the attorney meaning is pretty clear in the individual characters.

Please note this is Chinese only (it won't make sense in Japanese, and the last two characters are sometimes translated together as “Buddhist Priest” in Japanese).

北斗七星 is a Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja title for Ursa Major, The Big Dipper, or The Great She-Bear.

You will also see the shorter title of 北斗星, and sometimes just 斗 is used to refer to the dipper when the astrological context is established.

黒龍 is a generic title for “Black Dragon.”

The first character is black color.
The second means dragon.

Sometimes written as 黑龍 (just a minor variation in the first character).

玄龍 is a sophisticated or scholarly way to say “Black Dragon.”

玄龍 is the title you'd expect in ancient Chinese literature.

The first character means black or mysterious.

The second character means dragon.

This black dragon represents a king dwelling in the depths of the mystic waters.

墨龍 is a cool way to say “Black Dragon.”

墨龍 is literally “Ink Dragon.” The ink part is black Chinese ink, the deepest, darkest ink available for thousands of years.

蒼龍 is one of a couple of possible titles for “blue dragon” (occasionally also translated as “green dragon”).

The first character means “deep blue” or “azure.”

The last character is dragon.

菩提樹 is the full title of the Bodhi tree (a fig tree) under which Siddhartha Gautama (the legendary man who established the Buddhist religion), achieved enlightenment.

Sometimes this is referred to as “the tree of enlightenment.” If you don't have a Bodhi tree to sit under, maybe you can achieve enlightenment under a wall scroll with this title.

This proverb means “Brave people [are] without fear,” or “The brave are without fear.”

勇者不懼 is a proverb credited to Confucius. It's one of three phrases in a set of things he said.

This phrase is originally Chinese but has penetrated Japanese culture as well (many Confucian phrases have) back when Japan borrowed Chinese characters into their language.

This phrase has also been converted into modern Japanese grammar when written as 勇者は懼れず. If you want this version just click on those characters.

See Also:  No Fear

破浪 can be translated from Chinese as “braving the waves” or “bravely setting sail.”

It literally means: “break/cleave/cut [the] waves.”

破浪 is a great title to encourage yourself or someone else not to be afraid of problems or troubles.

Because of the context, this is especially good for sailors or yachtsmen and surfers too.

Note: While this can be understood in Japanese, it's not commonly used in Japan. Therefore, please consider this to be primarily a Chinese proverb.

Getting to the point quickly with the fewest words possible is the suggestion of this 少說為佳 Chinese proverb.

But taking it more profound, there is a warning that using too many words may act to “tip your hat” or “show your hand” (to use two American idioms).

It can also be said that using many words does not make the message have more value.

This is really about the art of brevity.

My only hope is that I did not use too many words to explain this proverb.

言簡意賅 is a Chinese proverb that suggests it is better to be brief and use fewer words while still expressing your main point or idea.

In another way to explain this, one should not use 100 words when 50 will do, or being more concise with your speech.

This can also be translated as concise, compendious, “brief in form but comprehensive in scope” or succinct.

This is a bit more positive than our other proverb for brevity.

百胜难虑敌三折乃良医 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: [Even a general who has won a] hundred victories [may be] hard put to see through the enemy's [strategy], [but one who has] broken [his] arm three [times] [will] be a good doctor.

Figuratively, this means: One cannot always depend on past successes to guarantee future success but one can always learn from lessons drawn from failure.

See Also:  Failure - Mother of Success | Experience - Mother of Success | Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8 | Hard Knocks

In Chinese, this can mean losing one's love; to breaking up (in a romantic relationship); to feel jilted.

In Japanese Kanji, this means disappointing love, broken heart, unrequited love, or being lovelorn.

失戀 is also valid in old Korean Hanja, which means unrequited love, unreturned love, a disappointment in love, or a broken heart.

Note: In modern Japan, they will tend to write the more simple 失恋 form instead of 失戀. If you order this from the Japanese master calligrapher, expect the more simple modern version to be written (unless you give us instructions to use the older or more traditional version).

李小龍 is the real full name of Bruce Lee.

Many people have no idea that Bruce Lee had a “real” Chinese name. In Mandarin and Cantonese, he is known as “Lǐ XiǎoLóng” and “Léi SíuLùng” respectively.

He kept his family name pronunciation (Li = Lee). 李 is a common family name that also means “plum.”

His given name 小龍 (Xiao-Long), literally means “little dragon.” 李小龍 is why you often see the character for dragon associated with Bruce Lee on various posters etc.

For a pronunciation lesson, the “X” in Romanized Mandarin is pronounced like a “sh” sound but with your tongue at the bottom of your mouth. The vowel sound in “Long” is like the English “oh,” not like the “ah” sound in the English word “long.”

If you are a big Bruce Lee fan, you should know this information, and you should have this wall scroll hanging in your room or martial arts studio.

Note: Japanese use these same Chinese characters / Kanji to write Bruce Lee's real name (with different pronunciation - which is a bit like how the name “Bruce Lee” sounds in English).

See Also:  Kung Fu | Martial Arts

佛光 means Buddha's teachings, or Buddha's Light.

This often refers to the aura around the head of Buddha.

Alternate meanings include Spiritual Enlightenment (from Buddha), Buddha's Halo, Light of the Buddha, or Buddha's Glory.

佛眼 is the “Eye of Buddha,” the enlightened one who sees all and is omniscient.

In modern Japan, they also write the first Kanji as shown to the right. Both versions are correct but if you want the modern Japanese version, click on the Kanji to the right instead of the button above.

人間性を再生するのは寛容な心親切な言葉奉仕と思いやりの精神 is known as the Triple Truth of Buddhism in Japanese.

The Buddha ordered that all should know this triple truth...
A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things that renew humanity.

That is the English translation most commonly used for this Japanese Buddhist phrase. You might have seen this on a coffee cup or tee shirt.

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

佛心 means the Buddha's mind, Buddha-heart, or the spiritually enlightened heart/mind.

The Buddha Heart is detached from good and evil and other such constructs. The Buddha Heart has mercy, compassion, and loving-kindness for all sentient life, the good, the wicked, and all in between.

The heart and mind (心) are the same concepts in the ancient Orient, so you can use heart and mind interchangeably in this context.

武士道 is the title for “The Code of the Samurai.”

Sometimes called “The Seven Virtues of the Samurai,” “The Bushido Code,” or “The Samurai Code of Chivalry.”

This would be read in Chinese characters, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja as “The Way of the Warrior,” “The Warrior's Way,” or “The Warrior's Code.”

It's a set of virtues that the Samurai of Japan and ancient warriors of China and Korea had to live and die by. However, while known throughout Asia, this title is mostly used in Japan and thought of as being of Japanese origin.

The seven commonly-accepted tenets or virtues of Bushido are Rectitude 義, Courage 勇, Benevolence 仁, Respect 礼(禮), Honour 名誉, Honesty 誠, and Loyalty 忠実. These tenets were part of oral history for generations, thus, you will see variations in the list of Bushido tenets depending on who you talk to.

See our page with just Code of the Samurai / Bushido here

See Also:  Samurai | Warrior

失意泰然 is a very old Japanese proverb that suggests “keeping calm and collected at times of disappointment,” or “maintaining a serene state of mind when faced with adversity.”

It's hard to relate individual character meanings to the overall meaning unless you also understand Japanese grammar. The word order is very different than English. That being said, here's the character meaning breakdown:
失 To miss, lose or fail.
意 Feelings, thoughts, meaning.
泰 Safe, peaceful.
然 Like that, in that way, however, although.

Using these definitions in English, we might say, “Although you may fail or lose, have a feeling of peace and calm.”

This is the Chinese name for the country of Canada.

See Also:  United States of America | Mexico | North America

把握今日 is the closest and most natural way to express this proverb in Chinese.

The first two characters mean “to seize” but can also be translated as “take control of.”

The last two characters mean “today.”

天主教會 is the Chinese title for, The Catholic Church.

刻舟求劍 is an originally-Chinese proverb that serves as a warning to people that things are always in a state of change.

Thus, you must consider that and not depend on the old ways or a way that may have worked in the past but is no longer valid.

This idiom/proverb comes from the following story:
A man was traveling in a ferry boat across a river. With him, he carried a treasured sword. Along the way, the man became overwhelmed and intoxicated by the beautiful view and accidentally dropped his prized sword into the river. Thinking quickly, he pulled out a knife and marked on the rail of the boat where exactly he had lost his sword.

When the boat arrived on the other side of the river, the man jumped out of the boat and searched for his sword right under where he'd made the mark. Of course, the boat had moved a great distance since he made the mark, and thus, he could not find the sword.

While this man may seem foolhardy, we must take a great lesson from this parable: Circumstances change, so one should use methods to handle the change. In modern China, this is used in business to mean that one should not depend on old business models for a changing market.

This proverb dates back to the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC) of the territory now known as China. It has spread and is somewhat known in Japan and Korea.

神的孩子 is “Child of God” in Chinese.

長津湖戰役 is the Chinese title for the Battle of Chosin Reservoir.

Occasionally this is spelled Chosen. The pronunciation has led surviving Marines who fought there to call themselves “The Chosen Few” or “The Chosin Few.”

基督徒 is a very strong and direct word in Chinese for “Christian.”

The literal translation of the first two characters is “Christ.”

The last character means apprentice, follower, or disciple.

Altogether these three characters mean “Christ's Disciple” or “Christ's Apprentice.” 基督徒 is a pretty cool title to hang on your wall if you are a devout Christian.

Also used by Japanese Christians (but may be unfamiliar to non-Christian Japanese people).

See Also:  Jesus Christ | God of Abraham

基督教徒 is the most verbose (longest) word for “Christian” in the Chinese and Japanese languages.

The literal translation of the first two characters is Christ.
The third Character means “Religion” or “Teaching.”
The last character means “apprentice” or “disciple.”

Altogether these three characters mean “Christ's Teaching Disciple” or “Christ's Religion Apprentice.”

Note: The last two characters are sometimes translated together as “follower (of a religion),” so you could also say it means “Follower of Christ.”

This four-character title makes it very clear what you are talking about in Chinese.

See Also:  Jesus Christ | God of Abraham

福音 is the Chinese, Korean and Japanese word for “Gospel” or “Word of God.”

福音 is a specifically Christian word in Asia (not used for any other religion).

The first character means blessing, good fortune, or good luck. This first character is a special character used throughout China to bring good tidings and fortune - especially during Chinese New Year. The second character means sound, noise, or news.

Together, these characters create a word that means “The Good News” or “The Sound of Good Fortune.”

When read by a Chinese or Japanese person, this word is always perceived as “The Christian Gospel,” “Word of God,” or even “The Voice of God.”

See Also:  Christianity | Jesus Christ | God of Abraham

基督教 is the Chinese, Japanese and Korean word for “Christianity.”

Just as in English, this word is often used to mean “Protestant” but includes Catholics in the true definition.

It is the word used to refer to the whole “Christian religion” or “Christian Faith,” and therefore, it can be translated as “Christianity.” However, used as an adjective in regard to a person, it would translate as “Christian.” But more like saying, “His religion is Christianity,” rather than a noun form.

If you break it apart, the characters mean Base/Foundation Leading/Supervising Religion/Teaching. It makes more sense in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. The first two characters together are translated as “Christ.” So you can also say this means “Christ's Religion” or “Christ's Teachings” when directly translated, or in reverse, “The Religion of Christ” or “The Teaching of Christ.”

Notes: The last character has a slight difference in one stroke - however, in calligraphic form, this will not be apparent. This entry can easily be read by any Korean person who knows Hanja characters (Chinese characters used in Korean).

See Also:  Jesus Christ | God of Abraham

不見棺材不落淚 is a cautionary tale that suggests you are unknowingly (though it should be obvious）on a bad course.

It further suggests that you will not realize your folly until the worst has happened.

This can also be a warning of inaction until it's too late to take action. Again, not realizing your error until it's too late.

In an alternate interpretation, some will suggest this means doing something bad and not looking back - Then the worst happens.

It should be noted that this is one of the oddest selections for a wall scroll in our whole Asian calligraphy database. All of our translators are convinced that no Chinese person would ever hang this on their wall.

蟠龍 is sometimes seen as a lower-level of dragon or a dragon that has not-yet-reached its potential.

蟠龍 is often defined as a “lake dragon” that has not ascended to heaven.
Another way to put that is a dragon coiled on the earth, which has not yet ascended to the sky.

把舵的不慌乘船的稳当 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: [If the] helmsman is not nervous, the passengers [will feel] secure.

Figuratively, this means: If the leader appears confident, his/her followers will gain confidence also.

This is a great suggestion that a confident leader inspires confidence in his/her troops or followers. Of course, a nervous leader will create fear in troops or followers.

仁義禮智信 are the core of Confucius's philosophy.

Simply stated:
仁 = Benevolence / Charity
義 = Justice / Rectitude
禮 = Courtesy / Politeness / Tact
智 = Wisdom / Knowledge
信 = Fidelity / Trust / Sincerity

Many of these concepts can be found in various religious teachings. It should be clearly understood that Confucianism is not a religion but should instead be considered a moral code for a proper and civilized society.

This title is also labeled “5 Confucian virtues.”

If you order this from the Japanese calligrapher, expect the middle Kanji to be written in a more simple form (as seen to the right). This can also be romanized as "jin gi rei satoshi shin" in Japanese. Not all Japanese will recognize this as Confucian tenets but they will know all the meanings of the characters.

See Also:  Confucius Teachings | Ethics

Some may think of this as a “Christian trait,” but actually, it transcends many religions.

This Chinese teaching dates back to about 2,500 years ago in China. Confucius had always taught the belief in being benevolent (ren), but this idea was hard to grasp for some of his students, as benevolence could be kind-heartedness or an essence of humanity itself.

When answering Zhong Gong's question as to what "ren" actually meant, Confucius said:

己所不欲勿施于人 or "When you go out, you should behave as if you were in the presence of a distinguished guest; when people do favors for you, act as if a great sacrifice was made for you. Whatever you wouldn't like done to you, do not do that thing to others. Don't complain at work or home.”

Hearing this, Zhong Gong said humbly, “Although I am not clever, I will do what you say.”

From this encounter, the Chinese version of the “Golden Rule” or “Ethic of Reciprocity” came to be.
The characters you see above express, “Do not do to others whatever you do not want to be done to yourself.”

See Also:  Confucius Teachings | Benevolence

This proverb, 志于道据于德依于仁游于艺, from the Analects of Confucius translates as:

Resolve yourself in the Dao/Tao/Way.
Rely on Virtue.
Reside in benevolence.
Revel in the arts.

According to Confucius, these are the tenets of good and proper conduct.

This was written over 2500 years ago. The composition is in ancient Chinese grammar and phrasing. A modern Chinese person would need a background in Chinese literature to understand this without the aid of a reference.

默而识之学而不厌诲人不倦何有于我哉 is a quote from the Analects of Confucius that translates as:

To quietly recite and memorize the classics,
to love learning without tiring of it,
never be bored with teaching,
How could these be difficult for me?

This is a suggestion that for a true scholar, all of these things come with ease.

This was written over 2500 years ago. The composition is in ancient Chinese grammar and phrasing. A modern Chinese person would need a background in Chinese literature to understand this without the aid of a reference.

體貼 is a Chinese word that means to be considerate (of other people's needs).

力操正 is a Korean martial arts title meaning “Power Control.”

It's most often cited as one of the 8 key concepts from Tang Soo Do.

This can be pronounced in Chinese but will only be recognized by those familiar with martial arts terms.

見義勇為 means the courage to do what is right in Chinese.

This could also be translated as “Never hesitate to do what is right.”

This comes from Confucian thought:
Your courage should head in an honorable direction. For example, you should take action when the goal is to attain a just result as, without honorable intent, a person’s gutsy fervor can easily lead them astray.

One who flaunts courage but disregards justice is bound to do wrong; someone who possesses courage and morality is destined to become a hero.

Some text above paraphrased from The World of Chinese - The Character of 勇

See Also:  Work Unselfishly for the Common Good | Justice | Bravery

骨氣 is a Chinese title that means “unyielding character,” “courageous spirit,” “integrity,” or “moral backbone.”

是生滅法 is a Buddhist term for “the law of arising and ceasing,” or, “the law of creation and destruction.”

Everything has a beginning and an end, birth and death, etc. All things follow this law.

臥虎藏龍 is the movie title of the Kung Fu epic that was very popular in the west a few years back.

This is a re-ordering of an ancient Chinese proverb that refers to undiscovered talents.

The movie was one of the most popular Chinese foreign films to ever debut in the USA but received a lukewarm reception in China.

Note: This can be pronounced in Korean, but it's not a commonly used term.

道場で泣き戦場で笑う is a Japanese phrase that means “Cry in the dojo, laugh on the battlefield.”

You'll see this phrase in a lot of dojos as a kind of philosophical joke.

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

See Also:  The More We Sweat in Training the Less We Bleed in Battle

飛龍馬 is the title for a “flying dragon-horse.”

This can refer to a mythical beast or, more realistically, a very fast horse at the track.

In Zen Buddhism, 本心 means “original mind” or “original heart,” which refers to one's Buddha-nature present from birth.

This can also be translated as true feelings, real intention, one's own heart, one's right mind, one's senses, one's conscience, or fundamental mind.

Note: 心 can mean heart or mind - thought in ancient Asia to be the same organ.

団結空手道 is the title for Danketsu Karate-Do, a dojo located in Stroudsburg, PA.

団結 (danketsu) means union, unity, or combination.

空手道 (karate-do) means “empty hand way.”

If you need you martial arts school/dojo/academy added to my database, just give me the info (actual Chinese/Japanese text if you have it).

鬼武者 is an unusual title that can be translated two ways, daredevil warrior or demon warrior.

The most common is probably the daredevil warrior. However, the first character means demon, ghost, or soul of the departed. Therefore, it can mean the soul of a warrior or a demon warrior.

This title is Japanese only, and should not be used if your audience is Chinese.

黎明前的黑暗 is the most natural way to write “The night is darkest before the dawn,” in Chinese.

The words break down this way by meaning this way:
1.黎明 dawn or daybreak
2.前 before, in front, ago, former, previous, and/or earlier
3.的 (possessive particle) of
4.黑暗 dark, darkly, or darkness

If you try to understand the Chinese word order and grammar, it's like, “Before dawn is the darkest [time].”

專心 makes a word that means “paying attention with your heart.”

It's often translated as “dedication,” as in “be absorbed in” or “concentrate one's efforts.” It's also used to mean “with the single mind,” “whole-heartedly,” “paying attention,” “undivided attention,” “concentration (-ed),” “engrossed,” “devotionally (listening/watching),” and/or “attentive.”

The first character means “for a particular person, occasion, or purpose,” “focused on one single thing,” “concentrated,” and sometimes, “special.”

The second character means “heart” or “mind” by itself.

My favorite translation, which comes from the Oxford Advanced Chinese/English Dictionary, is, “wholehearted devotion.”

If it seems like the meaning of this word is quite open, you are correct. The context in which the word is used matters a lot. It can mean different things depending on how you use it. This makes it kind of nice as you can decide what this means to you (within some limits). This is always positive in meaning, so even if a Chinese person reads it differently than you, it will still have a good meaning.

In Japanese, they tend to use a variation of the second character which has one less stroke. If you want your calligraphy written this Japanese form, please click on the Kanji shown to the right instead of the button above. Note: Japanese and Chinese people will recognize either form.

See Also:  Faith | Devotion

熱誠 is universal in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

It can mean earnestness, enthusiasm, ardor, zeal, devotion, spirit, or fervor.

法 is the simple way to write “law” or in a Buddhist context “Dharma.”

This can also mean method, way, or Buddhist teaching. It's also an abbreviation for the country of France.

The Buddhist context exists in Chinese and Korean Hanja but I have not yet confirmed that this means more than “law” when used alone in Japanese.

御影 is a Japanese word that means divine spirit or honorific language for “spirit of the dead.”

This can also refer to an image of a deity, buddha, royal, noble, etc.)

In the Buddhist context, it can mean (wooden) images of saints or deities.

御影 is also a Japanese name, Mikage.

Note: This is also a word in Chinese but not used very often in China (except perhaps by certain Buddhists).

道場 is the Japanese term for a room or hall in which martial arts are taught.

道場 is often spelled “dojo” which has become a word in the English lexicon. However, the true Romaji is doujou or dōjō.

Please note: The Chinese definition of these characters is quite different. In Chinese, this is a place where Buddhist or Taoist mass is held. It could also be a place where spiritual or psychic events are performed.

不怕风浪大就怕桨不齐 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: Do not fear strong winds [and] high waves; what [one should] worry about whether or not you're rowing in unison.

Figuratively, this means: However difficult the task, the key to success lies in making collective efforts.

I like to translate this as “Don't sweat the details, just get together and get it done.”

大智慧門 is the title for “The Great Wisdom Door,” or “The Gate to Great Wisdom.”

This refers to a portal to all wisdom and knowledge in Buddhism.

竜 is an alternate form of the dragon.

Still pronounced the same in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

This particular Kanji is often associated as an imperial symbol as well as representing the mythical Asian dragon. You may have seen it on the chest or flag of the emperor in old Japanese and Chinese movies.

Note: I would rate this as a non-universal alternate form. The other dragon character is by far more common, and universally understood.

We strongly recommend if you are looking for the symbol of dragon.

See Also:  Phoenix | Emperor | King

龍拳 is a title that literally means “Dragon Fist.”

龍馬精神 is an old proverb that is used to wish someone good health and success combined as a great compliment.

The meaning is “The vigor and spirit of the legendary dragon-horse.” These four characters are often accompanied by four more which mean “...and the power and prestige of the tiger.” Here we are just offering the first part which is considered the short version.

By giving a wall scroll like this to someone, you were either wishing or telling them that they have an amazing quality. There is also a suggestion of good health - at least anyone with the vigor of a dragon horse would seem to also be in good health.

Note: In Japanese, this would be read as the spirit of 坂本龍馬 (Sakamoto_Ryōma), a beloved rebel who help abolish the old Japanese feudal system. This can be confusing, so I am declaring this proverb to be Chinese only.

龍馬精神虎虎生威 is an old proverb that is used to wish someone great health and success combined as a great compliment.

The meaning is “The vigor and spirit of the legendary dragon-horse and the power and prestige of the tiger.”

By giving a wall scroll like this to someone, you were either wishing or telling them that they have these qualities. There is also a suggestion of good health - at least anyone with the vigor of a dragon horse would seem to also be in good health.

龍女 is literally “Dragon Lady” or “Dragon Woman.”

龍鳳 is the simplest way to express “Dragon and Phoenix” in Chinese and Japanese.

This title can be used to represent, “The emperor and empress,” or a metaphor for an outstanding personage.

It should be noted that this is most often used as a given name, “Ryuuhou” in Japanese. It may be read more as a name than by meaning in Japanese.

龍鳳呈祥 is often seen at weddings and other celebrations in China.

It suggests that the dragon and phoenix will bring you auspicious tidings.

The first character is a dragon.
The second is a phoenix.
The third is presents or brings.
And the last means auspicious, propitious, or luck.

Throughout China, the dragon and phoenix are symbols of good fortune. You will see these auspicious figures as decorative symbols on everything from buildings, furniture, wedding costumes, and sculptures in public parks to caskets and items used in ceremonies.

龍蛇虎豹鶴 is a list of the Chinese characters for the five animals of Shaolin Kung Fu in a comfortable order (meaning that they are in the proper order and will “feel right” to a Chinese person who views this arrangement).

龍魂 means “Dragon Spirit” or “Dragon Ghost.”

龍神 is a Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja title that can mean “dragon god,” “dragon king,” or “dragon spirit.”

In the context of Buddhism, this is one of eight kinds of spiritual beings found in Mahāyāna texts.

龍虎精神 means the spirit of the dragon and tiger.

It speaks to the vitality and vigor that is the nature of these two creatures.

Beyond “spirit,” the last two characters can also mean mind, soul, or heart. Therefore, you can also say this means “Heart of the Dragon and Tiger,” etc.

龍虎精神 is often titled “Ryukoseishin” in many Japanese martial arts.

龍武士 is a generic title for “Dragon Warrior.”

Just as in English, it's a bit ambiguous. It can mean one who fights against dragons or the title of a warrior himself (imagine a warrior with a dragon symbol on his chest).

龍戰士 is another version of “Dragon Warrior.”

It's still a bit ambiguous. This one reads more like “Dragon Fighter” than “Dragon Warrior.” Perhaps you can also translate this one as “One who fights like a dragon.”

斗龍戰士 or “Dragon Warrior” is specifically one who fights against dragons.

This can also be read as “Dragon Fighter.”

In 632 BC, Duke Wen of the Kingdom of Jin was about to lead an army against the forces of the Kingdom of Chu.
The Duke asked one of his advisers, Jiu Fan, how they could win the impending battle, as they were drastically outnumbered.
Jiu Fan said, “All is fair in war,” and suggested a plan of dishonorable tactics (cheating).
The Duke was unsure of this advice, so he asked another adviser, Yong Ji, who replied, “If you catch fish by draining the pond, you can certainly get all the fish. But there will be no fish the following year. You can cheat this one time in battle, but such tactics can only be used once, as the enemy will be wise in future encounters.”

The Duke heard the words of his wiser adviser but cheated to gain victory in the battle. However, he rewarded Yong Ji more than Jiu Fan at the victory celebration, stating that while Jiu Fan's advice gained one victory, the wise words of Yong Ji would last forever.

This Chinese idiom/proverb is still used, over 2600 years later to remind people not to burn bridges, cheat, or dishonor themselves in exchange for a short-term gain while sacrificing the future.

竭澤而漁 is very similar to the meaning of the English phrase, “Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.”

This proverb suggests that one should always be grateful to those who helped one succeed.

And remember your ancestors and those that came before you whose sacrifices made your present life better.

Some Chinese will separate the intended meaning from this proverb and translate this as “Don't forget the people who once helped you.” In Modern China, this idiom is virtually never used to refer to an actual well.

Note: This can be pronounced in Korean but it's not a commonly used phrase.

鷹 is the way to write eagle, falcon, or hawk in Chinese.

It means hawk or falcon in Japanese Kanji, and simply “eagle” in old Korean Hanja. Though we have different words for them in English, eagles, falcons, and hawks are all seen as the same general type of bird in Asian languages.

If you are looking for the Dutch surname Valk, or the German surname Falco by meaning, this would be a good character for you.

There are other multi-character words (most of them contain this character) which express different specific species of birds of prey (bald eagle, osprey, golden eagle, etc). If you need a more specific title, just contact me.

鷹爪派 is the title of a Chinese martial arts style known as “The Eagle Claw School.”

It is believed this style was developed by General Yue Fei in the early 12th Century.

地龍 is the Earth Dragon, king of rivers and seas.

地龍 is sometimes used in Chinese as a nickname for earthworms.

熱心 literally means “warm-hearted” (can also mean warm-spirited or warm-souled).

This is one of a few ways to say Enthusiasm in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

熱心 is also used to express the ideas of earnestness or eagerness.

Can mean “zeal” in Japanese.

團隊精神 is a Chinese word that can mean “esprit de corps” or “team spirit.”

Other translations include collectivism, teamwork, or solidarity.

It's been said that wisdom comes from good judgment, and good judgment comes from experience, while experience comes from a series of times when you used bad judgment.

經驗是智慧之母 is a Chinese proverb that makes the simplest connection between experience and wisdom.

See Also:  Failure is the Mother of Success | Wisdom | Learn From Wisdom

失敗並非一種選擇 is probably the best way to say, “Failure is not an option,” in Chinese.

Just don't forget that some ancient Chinese proverbs suggest that failure is a learning opportunity that leads to success or innovation. So don't plan to fail but failure is only a waste if nothing is learned from the failure.

See Also:  Failure is a Stepping Stone to Success | Failure is the Mother of Success

失败是成功之母 is a Chinese and Korean proverb that means “Every failure that you experience is a chance to learn from it and find success.”

Knowing what does not work is just as important as finding out what does work.

See Also:  Experience is the Mother of Wisdom

信念 expresses the idea of “having a belief” or “trusting in the unseen.”

信念 could also be translated as beliefs or convictions.

Note: Also considered to be one of the Seven Heavenly Virtues.

See Also:  Devotion | Dedication | Trust

信唸是在黎明前的黑闇中能感到光明的鳥 is a philosophical poem/quote from Indian Poet and Philosopher, Rabindranath Tagore.

Rabindranath Tagore, 1915

This quote is not sourced, and therefore several variations exist in English. Some suggest the original was in the Bengali language.

This, of course, is the Chinese translation that has the meaning of, “Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.”

More about Rabindranath Tagore

家族 is family in Japanese Kanji, Chinese and Korean.

This represents all the members of a family.

This can also mean household or clan, depending on the context.

别人屁臭自家香 literally translates as:
Other people's flatulence stinks, [but] one's own is fragrant.

Figuratively, this means:
Some people criticize defects in others that they (seem to) treasure in themselves.

緣 represents the fate that brings and bonds people together.

緣 is a complicated single character. It can mean a lot of different things depending on how you read it.

In Japanese, it can mean fate, destiny, a mysterious force that binds two people together, a relationship between two people, bond, link, connection, family ties, affinity, opportunity, or chance (to meet someone and start a relationship). It can also mean “someone to rely on,” relative, reminder, memento, or the female given name, Yori.

It's the same in Chinese, where it's defined as cause, reason, karma, fate, or predestined affinity.

In the Buddhist context, it's Pratyaya. This is the concept of indirect conditions, as opposed to direct causes. It's when something happens (meeting someone) by circumstance or a contributing environment. Instead of a direct cause or act, it is a conditioning cause without direct input or action by the involved people.

Occasionally, this character is used in a facetious way to say hem, seam, or edge of clothing. In this case, it's the seam that brings or holds the clothing together.

Note: Japanese will tend to use the variant of this Kanji shown to the right. If you want this version (and are ordering this from the Japanese master calligrapher), click on the Kanji at the right instead of the button above.

腳踏實地 is a four-character proverb that suggests that you should be practical, realistic, and grounded.

Some translate this as a suggestion to be down-to-earth.

The first character means “feet.”
The second means “step on” or “stand.”
The third means “solid,” “real,” or “true.”
The last character means “ground,” “earth,” or “terra.”

Literally, this means “[keep your] Feet Standing [on] Solid Ground.”

五十步笑百步 is a Chinese proverb that means the one who retreats 50 paces mocks the one who retreats 100 paces.

During the Warring States Period of what is now China (475 - 221 B.C.), the King of Wei was in love with war. He often fought with other kingdoms just for spite or fun.

One day, the King of Wei asked the philosopher Mencius, “I love my people, and all say I do the best for them. I move the people from famine-stricken areas to places of plenty and transport grains from rich areas to the poor. Nobody goes hungry in my kingdom, and I treat my people far better than other kings. But why does the population of my kingdom not increase, and why does the population of other kingdoms not decrease?”

Mencius answered, “Since you love war, I will make this example: When going to war, and the drums beat to start the attack, some soldiers flee for their lives in fear. Some run 100 paces in retreat, and others run 50 steps. Then the ones who retreated 50 paces laugh and taunt those who retreated 100 paces, calling them cowards mortally afraid of death. Do you think this is reasonable?

The King of Wei answered, “Of course not! Those who run 50 paces are just as timid as those who run 100 paces.”

Mencius then said, “You are a king who treats his subjects better than other kings treat their people, but you are so fond of war that your people suffer from great losses in battle. Therefore, your population does not grow. While other kings allow their people to starve to death, you send your people to die in war. Is there any difference?”

This famous conversation led to the six-character proverb shown here. It serves as a warning to avoid hypocrisy. It goes hand-in-hand with the western phrase, “The pot calls the kettle black,” or the Biblical phrase, “Before trying to remove a splinter from your neighbor's eye, first remove the plank from your own eye.”

上帝的鬥士 means “God's Fighter.”

While a lot of people search for “Warrior of God,” or “Soldier of God,” this is actually the most natural way to say something like this in Chinese.

斗志 literally means fighting spirit in Chinese.

As in the spirit that a warrior, soldier, athlete, or fighter must possess.

Note: There is more than one way to write the first character of this word. It is sometimes written like the version shown to the right (yes, it's completely different but has the same meaning & pronunciation). If you have a preference, please let us know in the special instructions about your order.

孝道 most clearly expresses the Confucian philosophy of filial piety.

Confucius taught that all should be respectful and obedient to their parents. Included in this idea is honoring your ancestors.

The second character is “dao/tao” or “the way” as in Taoism. You can say this title is “The Tao of Filial Piety” or “The Way of Filial Piety.”

See Also:  Confucius

火龍 is how to write “Fire Dragon” in Chinese and Japanese Kanji.

This title is used more often in Chinese, a little lesser known in Japanese.

初轉法輪 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja for the first turning of the wheel of the dharma.

These are the five principles of Reiki.

They translate into English as...

At least for today:
Do not be angry,
Do not worry,
Be grateful,
Work with diligence,
Be kind to people.

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

鵬程萬里 is an ancient Chinese proverb used in modern times to wish someone a long and successful career.

It's really about the 10,000 Flight of the Peng (Peng, also known as Roc is a mythical fish that can turn into a bird and take flight).

莊子
Zhuangzi or Chuang Tzu

Breaking down each character:
1. Peng or Roc (a kind of bird).
2. Journey (in this case, a flight).
3. 10,000 (Ten Thousand).
4. Li is a unit of distance often referred to as a “Chinese Mile,” though the real distance is about half a kilometer.

Direct Translation: “Peng's Journey [of] 10,000 Li.”
Literal meaning: “The 10,000-Li Flying Range Of The Roc.”
Perceived meaning: “To have a bright future” or “To go far.”

This proverb/idiom comes from the book of Zhuangzi or Chuang Tzu. It tells the tale of a huge fish that could turn into a gigantic bird. This bird was called a “peng” and was many miles long. This legendary size allowed the Peng to fly from the Northern Sea to the Southern Sea in a single bound.

Wishing someone “a Peng's Journey of 10,000 Li” will imply that they can travel far without stopping and will have great success, a long career, and a prosperous future.

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

螣 is the Chinese character and old Korean Hanja that means “flying dragon.”

原諒我的罪孽 is a religious phrase, which means exactly what the title suggests.

See Also:  Christian

容赦 is the kind of forgiveness that a king might give to his subjects for crimes or wrong-doings.

容赦 is a rather high-level forgiveness. Meaning that it goes from a higher level to a lower (not the reverse).

Alone, the first character can mean “to bear,” “to allow,” and/or “to tolerate,” and the second can mean “to forgive,” “to pardon,” and/or “to excuse.”

When you put both characters together, you get forgiveness, pardon, mercy, leniency, or going easy (on someone).

See Also:  Benevolence

剛毅 is a Japanese and Chinese word that means resolute and firm, fortitude, firmness of character, hardihood, manliness, or macho.

See Also:  Perseverance | Strength | Tenacity

命運鐘情於勇士 means “Fortune favors the brave” in Chinese.

This is not the only way to express the idea of fortune favoring the bold or brave.

It's not originally a Chinese phrase, so it's been translated into Chinese in various ways.

不老泉 is a fountain of youth in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

不老 directly means not [getting] old. 不老泉 is usually translated as eternal youth.

泉 means fountain.

滅諦 suggests that once you eliminate desire or attachment to worldly things, only then can you achieve enlightenment.

Realize that things are impermanent. That fancy car, beautiful spouse, big house, and impressive career are things you can't take with you. These things are a flash in the pan compared to the infinite span of history, generations to come, time, and space.

This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese, Korean, and Chinese people.

See Also:  Buddhism | Enlightenment

四季 is the 2-character way to say “Four Seasons.”

四季 literally means “4” and “seasons.”

春夏秋冬 is one way to express “The Four Seasons “ or “All Year Round “.

The characters here represent Spring, Summer, Autumn (Fall), and Winter.

逍遙 means freedom in Chinese characters.

This has a well-written meaning for a wall scroll. What I mean by that is while there is a way to say “freedom” orally, this word seems more appropriate for calligraphy. This can also be translated as “free and unfettered” in Chinese.

Note: In Korean and Japanese, this means one who rambles, saunters, or strolls (this entry is best if your audience is Chinese).

The first two characters mean freedom or liberty.

The second two characters mean spirit, heart, mind, or soul.

Together, 自由精神 is a title that is very similar to the English term “free spirit.”

See Also:  Freedom | Independence

自由意志 is a concept that has existed for thousands of years that humans can understand right and wrong, then make a decision one way or the other (thus affecting their fate).

Sources such as Confucius, Buddhist scriptures, the Qur'an, and the Bible all address this idea.

As for the characters shown here, the first two mean free, freedom, or liberty. The last two mean “will.”

Can be romanized from Japanese as jiyū-ishi, jiyuu-ishi, and sometimes jiyuu-ishii.
It's 자유의지 or jayuu-yiji in Korean and zìyóu yìzhì in Chinese.

See Also:  Freedom | Strong Willed | Fate

自由 is a common word to express the idea of freedom in both Chinese and Japanese.

This word is the essence of “being free” but also acts as the suffix to create words like freestyle swimming, free trade, civil liberties, free will, freedom fighter, religious freedom, and liberal.

風林火山 is the battle strategy and proverb of Japanese feudal lord Takeda Shingen (1521-1573 AD).

This came from the Art of War by Chinese strategist and tactician Sun Tzu (Sunzi).

You can think of this as an abbreviation to remind officers and troops how to conduct battle.

風林火山 is a word list: Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain.

The more expanded meaning is supposed to be...

“Swift as the wind, quiet as the forest, fierce as fire, and immovable as a mountain”

“As fast as the wind, as quiet as the forest, as daring as fire, and immovable as the mountain”

“Move as swift as the wind, stay as silent as a forest, attack as fierce as fire, undefeatable defense like a mountain”

“Move swiftly like the wind, stay silent like the forest, attack fiercely like fire, take a tactical position on the mountain”

See Also:  Art of War

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.”

花柳界 literally means “Flower Willow World/Kingdom.”

In Japanese, this means “The Realm of the Geisha” or “World of the Geisha.” I suppose there is a presumption that the Geisha is surrounded by flowers in their residence. In Chinese and Korean, this pretty much has colloquially come to mean “The Red Light District” or to refer to pimps, prostitutes, and johns as a group.

In Japanese, 名妓 means “distinguished/talented/beautiful geisha.”

The meaning in Chinese (and the deeper meaning in Japanese) would be “distinguished/talented/beautiful prostitute.”

I am not sure that our master calligrapher will even write this, so please note that fact if you decide to place the order. Of course, we'll refund your money if he refuses.

魂魄 is a Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja term for ghost, soul, or spirit.

It's used in the context of Buddhism as:
Animus and anima; the spiritual nature or mind, and the animal soul; the two are defined as mind and body or mental and physical, the invisible soul inhabiting the visible body, the former being celestial, the latter terrestrial.

天之御中主神 is a phrase submitted by a customer.

I do not have information on the origin of this phrase.

蚩尤 is the name Chi You, legendary creator of metalworking and weapons.

There is also a comet named in his honor. Some refer to him as the Chinese god of war. He is also somewhat-known in Japan as “Shiyu.”

上帝 is how Chinese Christians and Jews refer to God, AKA The Judeo-Christian God.

There are Chinese Jews whose ancestry dates back to Jewish traders on the silk road. They are known as the Kaifeng Jews. Most have left China for Israel now.

There are also plenty of Christians in China of the Protestant and Catholic varieties. However, the churches are basically run by the government, and the Chinese Catholic church does not recognize the Pope.

Oddly, in my experience, I found the Chinese Protestant church to be much less political compared to Baptist and other Protestant churches that I have visited in America.

上帝 is also the typically-used title for God in Japanese.

While you may find this term in old Korean dictionaries, it is an obscure and rarely-used title for God in modern Korean.

See Also:  Christianity | Jesus Christ

真主 is how Chinese Muslims refer to God (it literally means “True Master”).

Oddly, in China, two different names for God have emerged. Even though Muslims, Christians, and Jews all worship the same God of Abraham.

In Arabic, the word Allah is just the Arabic way to say, God. Arab Christians pray to Allah, just like Arab Muslims. Somehow in China, the title of God diverged.

If you are curious, there are millions of Muslims throughout China but especially in the northwest portion of China known as Xinjiang. Here you will find descendants of Turkmen, Persian, Arab, and other ethnicities. Some are mixed with Han-Chinese blood; others appear to be pure Turkmen. Many have fair complexions, green eyes, and light hair but all are citizens of China. A visit to Xinjiang will shift your paradigm and blow away all of your stereotypes about what it means to be Chinese.

In Chinese, 美神 means Goddess of Beauty.

The first character means beauty or beautiful.
The second character means spirit (can also mean god, goddess, or soul).
Some will use this as a short way to say, “Beautiful Spirit.”

This has a similar meaning in Japanese but is used more often as a female given name in Japan. As a Japanese given name, it can be pronounced Mikami, Mikan, or Binasu.

觀音/観音 is the Buddhist deity known as the Goddess of Mercy or Bodhisattva of Compassion.

In Chinese, the proper name of this being is Guan Yin. There is some debate as to whether Guan Yin is female. The argument comes from some scripture that suggests Buddhist deities take on the male form. Others say that Guan Yin has no sex. And still, others are okay with the female representation of Guan Yin.

This bodhisattva is also known or Romanized in the following ways:
Mandarin Chinese: Guan Yin, Kuan Yin, Kwan Yin.
Japanese: Kannon, Kwannon.
Sanskrit: Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.
Korean: Gwan-eum.
Vietnamese: Quan Âm.
Thai: Kuan Eim.
English: Bodhisattva of Mercy and Salvation, Goddess of Compassion, Buddha of Mercy, et al.

Note: The first character has a slight variation in Japanese. If your audience is specifically Japanese, you may want to select that version.

See Also:  Buddhism | Goddess | Namo Amitabha | Bodhisattva

觀世音 is the longer and perhaps more formal title for the Buddhist deity known as the Goddess of Mercy or Bodhisattva of Compassion.

The longer title of this bodhisattva is Romanized in the following ways:
Mandarin Chinese: Guanshi Yin, Kuan-shih Yin.
Japanese: Kanzeon.
Sanskrit: Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.
Korean: Gwan-se-eum.
Vietnamese: Quan Thế Âm.
Thai: Prah Mae Kuan Eim.
English: Bodhisattva of Mercy and Salvation, Goddess of Compassion, Buddha of Mercy, et al.

Please view our more common and shorter version, “Guan Yin” before you make a decision. Also, note that the first character has a slight variation in Japanese. If your audience is specifically Japanese, you may want to select that version.

See Also:  Buddhism | Goddess

観音 is the specifically Japanese version of Bodhisattva of Compassion or Guan Yin.

In Japanese, this is pronounced Kannon and occasionally spelled Kwannon. The Chinese version is a bit more commonly seen in Asia. However, in Japanese, there is a slight variation with the first character.

Some time ago, a camera company in Japan named their company after this Buddhist deity. That camera company is still known as Canon (they chose a “C” instead of a “K” when they Romanized this name).

観世音 is the more extended and more formal Japanese version of Bodhisattva of Compassion or Guan Yin.

In Japanese, this is pronounced Kanzeon. The Chinese version is a bit more common in Asia, but in Japanese, they use a slight variation of the first character. Choose this version only if your intended audience is specifically Japanese.

金龍 is the Chinese title for Golden Dragon.

The first character means gold, golden, or metal.

The second character is dragon.

This title has the same meaning in Japanese but is used mainly as a given name, Kinryu, or in reference to a certain kind of noodle soup in Japan.

善心 literally reads “Good Heart” but is used to refer to the ideas of kindness, benevolence, philanthropy, virtuous intentions, moral sense, and conscience.

Some will also translate this as the morality of mind (as the character for the heart is often used to mean mind).

In Japanese, this can be the given name Yoshinaka.

In Chinese, 美好的生活 means “Beautiful Life,” or “The Good Life.”

福宅 is perhaps the Chinese equivalent of “This blessed house” or perhaps “home sweet home.”

This phrase literally means “Good fortune house” or “Good luck household.” It makes any Chinese person who sees it feel that good things happen in the home in which this calligraphy is hung.

為善最樂 can be translated as “Doing good is the greatest source of happiness” or “doing good deeds brings the greatest joy.”

The origin is not known but is sometimes used in the context of Buddhism. However, this Chinese proverb or philosophy is a relatively mainstream idea of benevolence.

上善若水 is a quote that is sometimes presented as “Be like water.”

However, this is an ancient quote from the great philosopher Lao Tzu. It suggests that the ultimate goodness and purity (in the world) is water. Many take this as a suggestion to be like pure/good water.

天恩 is the deepest way to say “Heaven's Grace” or “God's Grace” in Chinese.

The first character means Heaven or sky (referring, in this case, to the domain of God).
The second character means grace, blessings, benevolence, favor/favour, acts of kindness, merits, or beneficial influence.

This title can also be defined as:
Blessings of Heaven, Favor of the Emperor, Divination's luckiest day, or blessings of nature. Note: When you see “Emperor” above, remember that the Emperor, like the Pope, is theoretically chosen by God or seen as an emissary or conduit of God in ancient Asian culture. It would only be read that way in a certain context, such as “The Emperor, in his mercy, bestowed upon him Heaven's Grace, and the prisoner was set free.”

Note: Technically, this is a Japanese word too (pronounced "ten-on") but it’s rarely used in Japan anymore. Therefore, this title is best if your audience is Chinese.

長城 is the Chinese name for the Great Wall.

Built at the northern border of China to protect from Mongol attack.

Notes:
In Japanese, this can be a surname Nagaki. Japanese often use a longer title for the Great Wall of China.
In Korean, this refers to Changsŏng (a city in Changsŏng-kun county, Chŏllanam-to province).

靑龍 is a title that can mean blue or green dragon.

The first character can mean blue, green, azure, or celadon.

The second character means dragon.

This is mostly a Chinese title (especially in Buddhism). It will be understood but less commonly used in Japanese and Korean.

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.

關帝 is the title, Guandi, the God of War, a deified hero of the Three Kingdoms, and a protector of Buddhism.

關公 is a Chinese title, Guan Gong, that means Lord Guan (The warrior saint of ancient China).

While his real name was Guan Yu / 關羽, he is commonly known by the title of Guan Gong (關公).

Some Chinese soldiers still pray to Guan Gong for protection. They would especially do this before going into battle. Statues of Guan Gong are seen throughout China.

觀世音 is an alternate title for Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion or Goddess of Mercy.

觀世音 is the Buddhist bestower of children, the protector of life and all in distress (especially of those at sea).

八幡神 is the Japanese God of War.

He is often known by the short name “Hachiman.” This version has the “God” title “jin” at the end, completing the idea of “God of War.”

葉隠れ is the Japanese word hagakure, which means “hidden in the leaves.”

葉隠れ is also used as a semi-idiom to mean “doing good deeds without calling attention to oneself.”

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.

夏威夷島 is how to write “The Hawaiian Islands” or “The Island of Hawaii” in Mandarin Chinese.

The island character in this title can be singular or plural.

心 would often be translated as “heart.”

However, because it was believed in Chinese culture for thousands of years that your consciousness and thoughts came from the big red organ in the middle of your chest, it also means “mind” or “spirit” and sometimes even “soul.”

In Korean, beyond heart, mind, and spirit, this character can mean moral, nature, mind, affections, intentions, core, and center. In fact, it is used in Chinese to mean “center” as well but only with another character in front of it. For instance, “medical center” or even “shopping center.” Separately and alone, it will not be read with that “center” meaning unless thought of as “the center of your soul.”

天道酬勤 can be interpreted in a few different ways:
God blesses those who work hard.
It is the way of Heaven to smile on the diligent.
God will reward those that are worthy.
Heaven blesses those who are diligent.

Whichever translation you like, a scroll like this on your wall may serve as a reminder to work hard because your diligence will pay off both in this life and the next.


Note: This can be pronounced in Korean, but it's not a commonly used term.

天力士 means “Heavenly Warrior,” or “Hero of Heaven,” in Chinese, old Korean, and Japanese.

Often used in a Buddhist context.

平常心 is the title Heijoshin, as associated with Kendo and Aikido schools of Japanese martial arts.

平常心 is also a word in Japanese that can be translated as “one's self-possession” or “presence of mind.”

In Chinese and Korean, this means “simplicity heart,” “composure,” “calmness,” or a “sense of orderliness.” In Chinese and Korean, this implies that you enjoy what you have, keep your heart in balance, and have no over-blown ambitions.

陰司 is the ancient way to say “Hell” or “Netherworld” in Chinese.

This title can also refer to the officials of Hell or the judges of Hades or the Netherworld.

Please note that this is a somewhat terrible selection for a wall scroll. Hanging this in your home is like telling the world that your home is hell. Oddly, a lot of people search for this on my website, so I added it for reference.

陰曹地府 can mean Hell, Hades, Kingdom of the Underworld, or the Netherworld.

When Chinese people talk about Hell, this is usually the term they use. Please note that this is a somewhat oral and informal word.

This is a really weird selection for a wall scroll, so consider this for educational purposes only.

女傑 can mean brave woman, heroine, lady of character, distinguished woman, outstanding woman, and sometimes prominent woman.

Some people might use this to give a title to women like Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks, Queen Elizabeth the First, Joan of Arc, Mulan Fa, Yevdokiya Nikolayevna Zavaliy, Harriet Tubman, Anne Frank, Clara Barton, and Jane Eyre.

I use it for a woman like Araceli Segarra (the first woman from Spain to climb Mt. Everest) and gave one of my daughters the middle name of Araceli.

英氣 is a way to write heroic spirit in Chinese.

This may be an arrogant thing to hang on your wall.

雄心 are the Chinese characters and Japanese Kanji for great ambition, lofty aspiration, or heroic spirit.

豪氣 is heroic spirit or heroism in Chinese and old Korean Hanja.

This might come across as a bit arrogant to hang on your wall.

The meaning of 藏龍臥虎 is that both the tiger and dragon have amazing talents, but if they are out of view, you may not have discovered them.

This old Chinese idiom/proverb is appropriate for someone with an amazing ability that keeps that ability hidden.

You might think this title is in reverse, but actually, this is the original Chinese proverb.
The movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, popularized this alternate version.

聖靈 is the title for the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost as used by Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant (and other Christian) Chinese people.

And yes, Chinese Jews do exist, but there are not many of them.

The first character means Holy, Sacred, Saint, or Sage. The second means ghost, spirit, efficacious, or intelligence.

This is valid in Chinese characters and old Korean Hanja. This will be recognized in Japan but see the note below...

In modern Japan, they now use a variant/simplified Kanji of the second character of Holy Spirit. If you want this Japanese version, click on the Kanji to the right instead of the button above.