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2. No man knows what he owes to his parents until he comes to have children of his own
4. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder
5. Best Love / Most Sincere Love
8. Character
9. Child of God
10. Grace of God / Divine Blessing
11. Emperor of Japan
12. Failure is the Origin of Success
13. Failure is the Mother of Success
14. Venus / Amor / God of Love
15. God of War
16. A Moment of Time is as Precious as Gold
17. Grace from Heaven / Grace from God
19. Man of Remarkable Character / Hero
20. Book of Hosea
21. Inner Beauty / Beauty of Spirit
22. A Journey of 1000 Miles Begins with a Single Step
25. A Life of Happiness and Prosperity
26. Life is What You Make of It
27. Journey of Life
28. Life of Love
29. Life of Serenity
30. Bolt of Lightning / Lightning Attack
32. Live Laugh Love
33. Republic of Mali
34. Marine / Soldier of the Sea
35. Move On / Change Way of Thinking
36. North America
37. The Pain of Love / Love Troubles
38. Patience Brings Peace of Mind
40. Presence of Mind
43. Reincarnation / Transmigration of Souls
45. Sense of Humor
48. South America
49. Strong-Willed / Strong of Heart
50. With all the strength of your heart
51. How can you catch tiger cubs without entering the lair of the tiger?
53. United Kingdom
55. Warrior of God / Soldier of God
56. Warrior Soul / Spirit of a Fighter
57. The Warrior’s Word, Dependable as Gold and Steel
59. Seeker of Wisdom
60. Democratic Republic of the Congo
62. Call Of Duty
63. 100 Years of Happy Marriage
65. In the Abyss of Infinite Bitterness - Turn to the Shore
66. Optimism / Happy With Your Fate
67. American
68. Angel / Messenger of Heaven
70. Goddess of Love: Aphrodite
71. Appreciation of Truth by Meditation
72. Argentina
73. Art of Healing
74. The Art of Love
75. Art of War
76. Art of War: 5 Points of Analysis
78. Aruba
79. Bahamas
80. Barbados
81. Beauty: The art of makeup / cosmetics
83. Belize
84. Bellflower / Herb of Bellflower
85. Bermuda
86. Best Love / Most Sincere Love
88. The Tree of Enlightenment / The Bodhi Tree
89. Bolivia
90. Brazil
92. You May Learn from Victory, You Will Learn from Failure
93. Broken Hearted
96. Triple Truth of Japanese Buddhism
97. Buddha Heart / Mind of Buddha
98. Bushido / The Way of the Samurai
99. Keep Calm in Face of Adversity
100. Canada
101. Cayman Islands
102. Mark the boat to find the lost sword / Ignoring the changing circumstances of the world
103. Child of God
104. Battle of Chosin Reservoir
105. Christian / Disciple of Christ
109. Colombia
110. Community
111. The Five Tenets of Confucius
112. Confucius: Golden Rule / Ethic of Reciprocity
113. The Foundation of Good Conduct
115. Considerate of the Needs of Others
116. Control of Power
117. Costa Rica
118. The Law of Creation and Destruction
119. Cuba
120. Daredevil Warrior / Soul of a Warrior
121. Dominica
122. Dominican Republic
123. Door of Great Wisdom
124. The Spirit of the Dragon Horse
125. The Spirit of the Dragon Horse and Power of a Tiger
126. The Spirit of Dragon and Tiger
127. Drinking the water of a well: One should never forget who dug it
129. Ecuador
130. El Salvador
131. England
132. Experience is the Mother of Wisdom
134. Failure is the Mother of Success
135. Falkland Islands
136. Family / Members of a Family
137. Faroe Islands
138. The farts of others stink, but one’s own smells sweet
139. Fighter for God
141. First Turn of the Dharma Wheel
142. The Five Principles of Reiki
143. A Bright Future
145. Fortitude / Strength of Character
146. Fountain of Youth
147. Four Noble Truths: Elimination of Desire or Attachment
148. French Polynesia
149. Furinkazan
150. Put out a burning wood cart with a cup of water
151. Geisha of Unequaled Talent
152. God in the Glorious Center of Heaven
153. God of Warcraft
154. God of Zion / God of Abraham
155. Allah / God of Islam
156. Goddess of Beauty / Beautiful Spirit
157. Goddess of Mercy and Compassion
159. Good Heart
161. Doing good is the greatest source of happiness
162. Ultimate Goodness of Water
163. Grace from Heaven / Grace from God
164. Great Britain
166. Grenada
167. Grim Reaper / God of Death
168. Guadeloupe
169. Guam
170. Guandi: God of War
171. Guan Gong / Warrior Saint
172. Guan Shi Yin: Protector Of Life
173. Guatemala
174. Guyana
175. Hachiman: God of War
176. Haiti
177. Warrior of Heaven
178. Heijoshin / Presence of Mind
180. Hell / Kingdom of the Underworld
181. Woman of Strong Character / Woman Hero
183. Home of the Dragon
184. Home of the Auspicious Golden Dragon
185. Honduras
186. Book of Hosea
188. The Book of Changes / I Ching
189. Impartial and Fair to the Brotherhood and Sisterhood of the World
190. Inner Beauty / Beauty of Spirit
191. A Life of Serenity Yields Understanding
192. Ireland
193. Jamaica
194. Three Treasures of Chinese Medicine
195. A Journey of 1000 Miles Begins with a Single Step
196. Through the Ups and Downs of Life
197. One Justice Can Overpower 100 Evils
198. Safety and Well-Being of the Family
199. Shadow of Karma / Dogged by Karma
200. Karma
201. Kendo / The Way of the Sword
202. Kempo Karate / Law of the Fist Empty Hand
203. Kingdom of Heaven
204. Hunt Foxes with Stealth, Hunt Wolves in the Open
206. Law of the Fist Karate / Kempo Karate
207. A Life of Happiness and Prosperity
208. Life Full of Love
209. Life of Love
210. Live Laugh Love
211. Longing for Lover
212. Love
213. Love Gems / Fruit of Love / Children
215. Man of Character
216. Month of March
217. Marine
218. Marine Corps
219. Martial Morality / Martial Arts Ethics / Virtue
220. Be Master of Mind, Not Mastered by Mind
221. The Month of May
222. Mexico
223. Sense of Shame / Sense of Honor / Integrity / Modesty
224. Morality of Deed
225. Morality of Mind
226. North American Opossum / Possum
227. The Nature of Martial Arts
228. Netherlands Antilles
229. New Caledonia
230. Nicaragua
231. All Tenets of the Noble Eightfold Path
232. North America
233. Northern Ireland
234. The Sea of Knowledge Has No Limits
235. Once in a Lifetime
236. Oneness of Heaven and Humanity
237. Open the Minds of the Next Generation To Stimulate Thinking
238. Opossum / Possum
239. The Pain of Separation from Your Loves
240. Panama
241. Paraguay
242. Patience Yields Peace of Mind
243. Peace of Mind
244. Peaceful Heart / Peace of Mind / Calm Mind
245. Peru
246. Pillars of Marriage
247. Pitcairn Island
248. Power of Understanding and Wisdom
249. Presence of Mind
250. Principles of Life
251. Realize Your Ambitions / Ride on the Crest of Success
252. Proud Of One’s Name
253. Puerto Rico
254. Purity of Mind
255. Pursue Your Dreams
256. Pursuit of Happiness
257. One Who Does Not Do Bad Things, Worries Not of Knocks at His Door
259. One who is drenched in rain does not fear drops of dew
262. Resilient in the Face of Adversity
263. Respect out of fear is never genuine; Reverence out of respect is never false
264. River of Literacy, Sea of Learning
266. Roar of Laughter / Big Laughs
267. Romance of the Three Kingdoms
268. Rose Flowers Given, Frangrance Remains on Hands of Giver
269. Samsara / Endless Cycle of Rebirth
271. Sword of Death
272. School of Happiness
273. Scotland
275. Power of Oneself / Self-Sufficient
277. Shade of a Tree
278. Shiite sect of Islam
280. Only the sleepless know the length of night
281. Soldier of Fortune
282. Soul Mates
283. South America
284. Spirit of Taekwondo
285. Spiritual Strength / Strength of Spirit
286. State of Anarchy
287. Sunni sect of Islam
288. Suriname
290. Tactics of War
291. The Tao or Dao of Being Human / Humanity
292. Tao / Dao of the Heart / Soul
293. Tathata / Ultimate Nature of All Things
294. Taekwondo Tenets / Spirit of Taekwon-do
295. Theory of Evolution
296. Thirst for Truth
297. A Journey of 1000 Miles Feels Like One
298. Three Treasures of Buddhism
299. God of Thunder
300. How can you catch tiger cubs without entering the lair of the tiger?
301. The White Hairs of Old Age
302. Trinidad and Tobago
303. True Religion / Buddha Truth
305. Under the Protection of the Dragon Saint
306. United Arab Emirates
307. United Kingdom
308. Unity / United / Solidarity / Cooperation
309. Uruguay
310. United States Marine Corps
312. Venezuela
314. U.S. Virgin Islands
315. Voice of Heaven / Voices from Heaven
316. Elements of the Tea Ceremony
317. Walk in the Way
318. Value of Warrior Generals
319. Heart of a Warrior / Samurai Heart
320. Warrior of the Heavenly Realm
321. Warrior Saint / Saint of War
322. Soul of a Warrior
323. The Value of Warriors Lies in Their Quality
324. Wave
325. The Way of Five Pecks of Rice
326. The Way of the Wave
327. Way of Life / Art of Life
328. The Way of Tea
330. Overcome: Regardless of the Rain and Wind
331. Regardless of the Weather, We Overcome Troubles Together
332. The Game of Weiqi / Weichi / Go
333. Wheel of Karma
336. Will of Fire
337. You must endure a harsh winter to appreciate the warmth of springtime
338. Wolf Spirit / Soul of a Wolf
339. Sisterhood / Association of Women
340. Work Unselfishly for the Common Good
341. Heart of Judo
342. Seeker of Wisdom
343. Red Leaves of Autumn
344. Heart of a Warrior
345. I am the Master of My Destiny
346. Lizz
347. Dharma Gate of Bliss
348. Wisdom and Insight of the Buddha
349. The Principles of Buddhism
350. Great Illumination of Wisdom
351. Warriors of Light
352. The Nature of Enlightenment in One's Mind
353. Conquering Yourself is a Sign of Strength
354. Heart of Aikido
355. Light of the World
356. I Am Worthy of Being Loved
357. Mystic Lotus Wisdom of Amitabha
358. Knowledge of Ultimate Truth
359. Democratic Republic of the Congo
360. My life is complete because of you
361. Release of Desires
362. Breath of Life
364. Fundamental Principles of Tai Chi Chuan
365. Mujo no Kaze / Wind of Impermanence
366. Fruit of the Spirit
369. Call Of Duty
370. Wind of Change
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.
Ka-Chou-Fuu-Getsu
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.
愛は全てを完全に結ぶ帯である is a Japanese phrase that suggests we (or a couple) are bound together by love.
I searched the web and found all of these English translation variations for this phrase:
Have love; The only way in which you may be completely joined together.
Love is the sash that perfectly binds us together.
Love is what binds us together
Love binds all things together in perfect unity.
This same Japanese phrase is used as part of Colossians 3:14 in at least one version of the Japanese Bible.
A few Biblical versions include:
...Charity, which is the bond of perfectness. (KJV)
...Love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (NIV)
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
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
senri no michi mo ippo kara
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.”
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
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.”
Tokkan
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
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.
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
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.
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.”
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
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.
Funny Bone
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.
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.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained
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.
This is the most common Japanese name for the United Kingdom.
See Also: Great Britain | England | Scotland | Ireland | Europe
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.
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.
Person from the USA
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
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.”
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.
military strategy, tactics, and procedure
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.
阿魯巴 is the Chinese name for the territory of Aruba (overseas country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands).
Note: Definitions vary as to whether Aruba is in North America or South America.
See Also: Netherlands | North America | South America
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.
Shoshin
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.
This is the Chinese name for Bermuda (overseas territory of the United Kingdom).
See Also: North America
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).
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.
英屬維爾斯群島 is the Chinese name for the British Virgin Islands (overseas territory of the United Kingdom).
See Also: United States Virgin Islands | North America
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).
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
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
This is the Chinese name for the Cayman Islands (overseas territory of the United Kingdom and a great place to hide money).
See Also: North America | United Kingdom
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.
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
社區 is how to write community in Chinese.
社區 can mean the neighborhood you live in. It can also be used the same way we use the word community in English.
Examples: African-American community, Christian community, Asian community, etc.
If you need a special calligraphy wall scroll to describe your community, just contact me, and I’ll translate it and make it for you.
The Five Cardinal Rules / Virtues of Confucius
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
Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself
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
Quote from Confucius
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.
Quote from Confucius
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.
Him Cho Chung
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.
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.
This is the Chinese name for the Dominican Republic.
See Also: North America
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.
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.
This is the Chinese name for the country of England.
See Also: Great Britain | United Kingdom | Ireland | Scotland | Northern Ireland | Europe
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
This is the Chinese name for the Falkland Islands (overseas territory of the United Kingdom).
See Also: Great Britain | United Kingdom | Africa
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.
法羅島 is the Chinese name for the country of the Faroe Islands (overseas territory of Denmark).
See Also: Denmark | South America
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
初轉法輪 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja for the first turning of the wheel of the dharma.
Reiki Gokai
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.
Incredible 10,000-Mile Flight of the Peng
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.
原諒我的罪孽 is a religious phrase, which means exactly what the title suggests.
See Also: Christian
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
Nirodha
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
This is the Chinese name for French Polynesia (overseas territory of France).
See Also: South America
military strategy
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
An utterly inadequate measure
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.”
(Danger: Can mean prostitute!)
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.
天之御中主神 is a phrase submitted by a customer.
I do not have information on the origin of this phrase.
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
This is the long or more formal version of this title
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.
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).
Long or more formal Japanese version of this title
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.
A heart of kindness, benevolence, and virtuous intentions
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.
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.
Quote from Lao Tzu
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.
This is the Chinese name for Great Britain.
See Also: England | United Kingdom | Scotland | Ireland | Europe
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).
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.
This is the Chinese name for Guadeloupe (overseas department of France).
gua1 de2 luo2 pu3 dao3
See Also: North America
關島 is the Chinese name for the island of Guam (overseas territory of the United States).
See Also: North America
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.
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.
Ancient way to say Hell
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.
黑龍之家 was added by special request of a customer. This phase is natural in Chinese, but it is not a common or ancient title.
The first character is black.
The second is dragon.
The third is a possessive modifier (like making “dragon” into “dragon's”).
The fourth character means home (but in some context can mean “family” - however, here it would generally be understood as “home”).
Added by special request of a customer. This phase is natural in Chinese, but it is not a common or ancient title.
The first character is dragon.
The second is a possessive modifier (like making “dragon” into “dragon's”).
The third character means home (but in some context can mean “family” - however, here, it would generally be understood as “home”).
This 金瑞祥龍之家 or “home golden auspicious dragon” title was added by special request of a customer.
The first character means gold or golden.
The second and third characters hold the meaning of auspiciousness and good luck.
The fourth character is dragon.
The fifth is a possessive modifier (like making “dragon” into “dragon's”).
The last character means home (but in some context can mean “family” - however, here it would generally be understood as “home”).
Note: The word order is different than the English title because of grammar differences between English and Chinese. This phrase sounds very natural in Chinese in this character order. If written in the English word order, it would sound very strange and lose its impact in Chinese.
Note: Korean pronunciation is included above, but this has not been reviewed by a Korean translator.
怡紅院 is from “The Story of the Stone” by Cao Xueqin.
For some reason, this phrase was translated as “House of Green Delights” when the novel was published in English. The translator took some liberties and believed that “green” had a more positive feel than red to a western audience. Therefore, the phrase shown to the right is “House of Red Delights” (which is the most original and correct way).
一視同仁 is how to write “universal benevolence.” This is also how to express the idea that you see all people the same.
If you are kind and charitable to everyone, this is the best way to state that virtue. It is the essence of being impartial to all mankind, regardless of social standing, background, race, sex, etc. You do not judge others, but instead, you see them eye to eye on the same level as you.
See Also: Benevolence | Compassion | Equality | Justice | Right Decision | Selflessness | Work Unselfishly for the Common
淡泊以明志寧靜而致遠 is a kind of complex ten-character proverb composed by Zhuge Liang about 1800 years ago.
This is a Chinese proverb that means “Leading a simple life will yield a clear mind, and having inner peace will help you see far (into the world).”
What I have translated as “simple life” means NOT being materialistic and NOT competing in the rat race.
The last word means “far” but the deeper meaning is that you will surpass what you can currently see or understand. Perhaps even the idea of opening up vast knowledge and understanding of complex ideas.
The whole phrase has a theme that suggests if you are NOT an aggressive cut-throat person who fights his way to the top no matter how many people he crushes on the way, and instead seek inner peace, you will have a happier existence and be more likely to understand the meaning of life.
See Also: Serenity
This is the Chinese name for the country of Ireland.
See Also: Northern Ireland | Great Britain | England | Scotland | United Kingdom | Europe
精, 氣, 神 are the characters jing, qi, and shen.
As a set, these three characters are known in English as the treasures of traditional Chinese medicine, the treasures of Qi Gong, or the three treasures of Taoism / Daoism.
Sometimes this set is titled 三寶 (sānbǎo) or “three treasures,” but here, we're writing each treasure out.
Here's how these characters are perceived in this context...
Jing: nutritive essence; refined; perfected; pure
Qi: vitality; energy; force; breath; vigor
Shen: spirit; soul; mind; being
To keep it simple, you can use “essence, vitality, and spirit” to define these.
同甘共苦 is a Chinese proverb that talks of “shared delights and common hardships.”
This can be translated and understood in a few different ways, including...
To share life's joys and sorrows.
For better or for worse.
Through joys and sorrows of life.
Through all life's ups and downs.
To go through thick and thin.
To stick together through thick and thin.
To share the joys and sorrows of life.
To share pleasures and pains.
To partake in each other's joys and sorrows.
To take “for better or for worse.”
一正压百邪 is an ancient Chinese proverb and idiom that means “One Justice Can Overpower a Hundred Evils.”
While this proverb is famous in China, it has been around so long that its origins have been forgotten.
It could be something that Confucius or one of his disciples said, but no one can say for sure.
Kanai Anzen
家內安全 is the Japanese way of saying “Family First.”
It's a Japanese proverb about the safety and well-being of your family and/or peace and prosperity in the household.
Some Japanese will hang an amulet in their home with these Kanji. The purpose is to keep your family safe from harm.
According to Shinto followers, hanging this in your home is seen as an invocation to God to always keep family members free from harm.
We were looking for a way to say “family first” in Japanese when this proverb came up in the conversation and research. While it doesn't say “family first,” it shows that the safety and well-being of your family is your first or most important priority. So, this proverb is the most natural way to express the idea that you put your family first.
See Also: Peace and Prosperity
宿業 is the Buddhist concept of Past Karma. Simply put, it's the sum of all the good and bad from all previous lives (perhaps earlier in your current life). This term is not commonly used outside of the Buddhist faith (you'll have a tough time finding a non-Buddhist Asian person that knows this word).
Other ways to translate this are “The karma of previous existence,” “The karma remaining from prior existences,” or simply “Former karma.”
See Also: Buddhism
Often associated with Kenjutsu, 剱道/劍道 means “The way of the sword” in Japanese (and Korean with an alternate form of the first character).
This is also the term used for swordsmanship and even fencing in Japanese and Korean, depending on context.
Note: These same characters are also used separately in Chinese, but this exact combination yields a common title in Japanese only (perhaps someone who is really into swords would use this in China).
Note: There is more than one way to write the “sword” character (shown above is the Japanese version - if you want the Korean version, please let me know when you place your order).
空手拳法 is the Kanji title for Kempo Karate.
The first two characters mean “karate” - technically they express “empty hand.”
The last two express “fist law” which is Romanized from Japanese as “Kenpo” or “Kempo.”
That “empty hand” translation can be understood better when you grasp the idea that karate is a martial art without weapons (other than the weapons organic to your body, such as your foot, hand, fist, etc). When you practice karate, you do so with empty hands (no weapons).
Note: There is also an antiquated way to write karate. It has the same pronunciation but a different first character which means “Tang” as in the Tang Dynasty. Some dojos use that form - let us know if you need that alternate form, and we'll add it.
天國 is the very Christian way to refer to the “Kingdom of Heaven” in Chinese, old Korean, and Japanese. 天國 is also the translation for “paradise.”
The first character means “Heaven.” The second character means “kingdom” but, in modern times, has been extended to mean “country” (but no one will translate this particular character combination as “Heaven Country”). 天國 is the ancient version of this word, as in modern times (after WWII), the second character was simplified in mainland China and Japan.
闇打狐狸明打狼 is a Chinese proverb that translates as: Hunt foxes stealthily, [and] hunt wolves openly [just as they do].
Figuratively, this means:
Different opponents require different appropriate strategies.
This is a suggestion that you should know your enemy and know that each enemy is different, therefore requires a specialized approach (attack).
See Also: Art of War Military
知識 has the very strong meaning of “knowledge” and, in some contexts, “learning.”
The first character represents “to know” or “to realize.”
The second character alone refers to the ability to “recognize” or “realize” and can also be used to mean “knowing.”
See Also: Wisdom | Learn From Wisdom
The first two characters mean “fist law” which is Romanized from Japanese as “Kenpo” or “Kempo.”
The last two are a secondary way to express “karate.”
Notes:
The more common way to express “karate” is literally “empty hand” (meaning “without weapons in your hand”). This version would be translated literally as “Tang hand” (as in the Tang Dynasty) or “China hand” (sometimes “Tang” means “China” in Japanese). Even though the character for “Tang” is used instead of “empty,” it's still pronounced “kara-te” in Japanese.
拳法唐手 is not commonly used in China - so please consider it to be a Japanese-only title.
Many Japanese people will say the last two Kanji are the old and antiquated way of saying Karate. This fact does not stop this title from existing, as these four characters are often seen in Kenpo / Kempo Dojos around the western world.
幸福成功的一生 means “A life of happiness and prosperity” or “A life of happiness and success.”
It's a very positive and inspirational wall scroll selection.
See Also: Prosperity
愛情生活 is the Chinese proverb for “Loving Life.” Some also translate this as “[your] Loving Life” or “Life full of Love.”
This is about being a loving person (to your spouse and/or family) during your life. This is not the same as loving the state of being alive - not “love of living” but rather “being a loving person during your life.”
Note: Korean pronunciation is included above, though use of this proverb in Korean has not been verified.
This proverb can be understood in Japanese but
it’s
primarily a Chinese proverb (it will "feel" Chinese to a Japanese person).
In English, the word order shown in the title is the most natural or popular. In Chinese, the natural order is a little different:
The first character means laugh (sometimes means smile).
The second character means love.
The last two characters mean “live” as in “to be alive” or “pursue life.”
Please note: 笑愛生活 is not a normal phrase in that it does not have a subject, verb, or object. It is a word list. Word lists are not common in Asian languages/grammar (at least not as normal as in English). We only added this entry because so many people requested it.
We put the characters in the order shown above, as it almost makes a single word with the meaning “A life of laughter and love.” It's a made-up word, but it sounds good in Chinese.
We removed the Japanese pronunciation guide from this entry, as the professional Japanese translator deemed it "near nonsense" from a Japanese perspective. Choose this only if your audience is Chinese and you want the fewest-possible characters to express this idea.
In Korean, this would be 소애생활 or "so ae saeng hwar" but I have not confirmed that this makes sense in Korean.
愛 universally means love in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, old Korean Hanja, and old Vietnamese.
愛 is one of the most recognized Asian symbols in the West and is often seen on tee shirts, coffee mugs, tattoos, and more.
愛 can also be defined as affection, to be fond of, to like, or to be keen on. It often refers to romantic love, and is found in phrases like, “I love you.” But in Chinese, one can say, “I love that movie” using this character as well.
This can also be a pet name or part of a pet name in the way we say “dear” or “honey” in English.
This can be a girl’s name “Ai” in both Chinese and Japanese.
More about this character:
This may be hard to imagine as a westerner but the strokes at the top of this love character symbolize family & marriage.
The symbol in the middle is a little easier to identify. It is the character for "heart" (it can also mean "mind" or "soul"). I guess you can say that no matter if you are from the East or the West, you must put your heart into your love.
The strokes at the bottom create a modified character that means "friend" or "friendship."
I suppose you could say that the full meaning of this love character is to love your family, spouse, and friends with all of your heart, since all three elements exist in this character.
See Also: I Love You | Caring | Benevolence | Friendliness | Double Happiness Happy Marriage Wall Scroll
情定終身 is a pledge of eternal love in Chinese.
This can also be a colloquial way to refer to the act of exchanging marriage vows.
If you and your mate want to express how committed you are to your life-long love, this will be a great piece of calligraphy for your wall. Also, a nice phrase to celebrate an anniversary.
大丈夫 is a Chinese, Korean, and Japanese title that means a manly man, a man of character, a great man, or a fine figure of a man.
In Japanese, this can also be used to mean safe, all right, alright, OK, sure, or “no problem.” Used in Japanese for something that is undoubted or very acceptable.
Third Month of the Year
三月 is the Chinese, Japanese, and Chinese way to write the month of March.
This literally reads as “third month” or “third moon.”
Amphibious Warrior
海軍陸戰隊員 is the Chinese way to express “Marine.” (as in a member of the Marine Corps). It is not country-specific, so it could be the Royal Marines, U.S. Marines, Chinese Marines, etc.
In Australian English, they would translate this as “Naval Infantryman.”
Breaking down each character this means:
“ocean/sea military/arms shore/land fighting/war/battle corps/team/group person/member.” Note that the first two characters are presented together but outside of this phrase mean “navy” (sea military).
See Also: Warrior | Military | Navy | Art of War
海軍陸戰隊 is the Chinese way to express “Marine Corps.” This could be the Marine Corps of virtually any country that has an amphibious military force.
Let me know if you want a more specific title, such as British Royal Marines or U.S. Marine Corps.
The Chinese title for Marines is very verbose...
Breaking down each character this means:
“ocean/sea military/arms shore/land fighting/war/battle corps/team/group.”
See Also: Military
海兵隊 is the Japanese and Korean way to express “Marine Corps” or simply “Marines.” It is not specific, so this can be the Marine Corps of any country, such as the British Royal Marines to the U.S. Marines.
Breaking down each character, this means:
“ocean/sea soldiers/army corps/regiment/group.”
See Also: Military
This refers to the virtue, morality, and ethics that any practitioner of martial arts should possess.
This can be used in both Chinese and Japanese in place of English terms such as “soldierly virtue,” “good conduct” (military), “warrior ethics,” and being honorable regarding any fight or competition.
In Japanese, there is a slight variation in the last character, making it 武徳 instead of 武德 in Japan. And yes, just one little horizontal stroke is omitted. If you need the Japanese version, please choose a Japanese calligrapher, or drop me a note so that I make sure you get the characters you intend.
See Also: Morality of Mind | Morality of Deed
Fifth Month
五月 is the month of May in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
This was originally the fifth month of the Chinese lunar year, now used for the fifth month of the Gregorian calendar (also known as the Western or Christian calendar). 五月 literally means “fifth month” or “fifth moon.”
Note: Sometimes Japanese parents will use this as a female given name, and use "Mei" (the sound of May in English) as the pronunciation.
This is the Chinese name for the country of Mexico.
See Also: Spain | United States of America | Canada | North America
廉恥 simultaneously means “sense of honor” and “sense of shame” in Korean.
This term is often used as a tenet of Taekwondo, where the English terms “integrity” and “modesty” are applied.
廉恥 is also a Chinese word, though it is usually read with the “sense of shame” meaning, and is a poor choice for a wall scroll if your audience is Chinese.
The idea of “morality of deed” goes along with 行德 or “wu de” (martial morality or virtues of the warrior).
Here, the first character is a representation of the actions or deeds that you engage in.
The second character refers to morality or virtue.
This translates better in English in the opposite order, as the Chinese order is literally “deed morality.”
See Also: Morality of Mind | Martial Morality
The idea of 心德 or “morality of mind” goes along with 行德 or “wu de” (martial morality or virtues of the warrior).
Here, the first character is a representation of your heart or mind.
The second character refers to morality or virtue.
This can also be translated as “morality of heart,” “virtue of heart,” or “virtue of the mind.”
Since ancient times in Asia, the idea of your mind (where your soul resides and your thought originates) has been associated with the heart. Just as in western culture, where we say “it comes from the heart” or “heartfelt emotions,” there is a belief that your heart and mind are one and the same (medical science now begs to differ).
See Also: Morality of Deed | Martial Morality
北美負鼠 is the full title for North American Opossum (aphesis spelling: Possum). The first two characters mean “North American” as an adjective. The third character means “carries” and refers to the marsupial pouch. The last character means “rat.” You could say the literal translation is “marsupial rat.”
Chinese opossums vary from the North American variety. If you were to use the last two characters alone, it may suggest the species native to China.
See Also: Year of the Rat
This is the Chinese name for the Netherlands Antilles (overseas country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands) .
See Also: Holland | Netherlands | North America
This is the Chinese name for the country of New Caledonia (overseas territory of France).
See Also: North America
These are the eight tenets of the Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path written altogether.
Here's this list of tenets in English:
1. Right View / Right Understanding / Right Perspective / Perfect View
2. Right Resolve / Right Thought / Right Intention / Perfect Resolve
3. Right Speech / Right Talk / Perfect Speech
4. Right Action / Perfect Conduct
5. Right Living / Right Livelihood / Perfect Livelihood
6. Right Effort / Right Endeavor / Perfect Effort
7. Right Mindfulness / Right Memory / Perfect Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration / Perfect Concentration
This is the Chinese name for the country of Northern Ireland.
See Also: Ireland | United Kingdom | Great Britain | Europe
學海無涯 is a Chinese proverb that reads, “sea of learning, no horizon.”
Colloquially, it means there are no limits to what one still has left to learn.
This would be the Chinese equivalent to the quote from Hippocrates, “ars longa, vita brevis,” meaning “it takes a long time to acquire and perfect one's expertise.”
See Also: Learning is Eternal
This Japanese title can be translated as “for this time only,” “chance meeting,” “one meeting, one opportunity,” “never again,” or “one chance in a lifetime.”
The characters literally mean “one time one meeting” - of course, the Kanji characters have meaning far beyond a direct translation like this.
Some might use this proverb to talk of an opportunity that presents itself just once in your life. It could also be a one-and-only chance meeting with your true soul mate. An expression of any event that might happen once in a lifetime.
This is primarily a Japanese title, however, there is also a Traditional Chinese (and old Korean) version of this proverb. Just the last character is different.
The traditional form was used in Japan before WWII and in Korea prior to 1900. This title is somewhat known in China.
If you want the older traditional form, just click on the character to the right.
天人合一 is a title that represents the oneness of heaven and humanity. It conveys the idea that man is an integral part of nature.
You can also read this as “heaven and man in unity,” or “nature and man in unity.” The “man” is really “people” or “humans” and is not gender-specific in Chinese.
This word is often used to describe the idea of opening the minds of the young or the new generation.
See Also: Wisdom | Learning is Eternal | Learn From Wisdom
負鼠 is the name for Opossum (aphesis spelling: Possum) in Chinese.
The first character means “carries” and refers to the marsupial pouch. The second character means “rat.” You could say the literal translation is “marsupial rat.”
Chinese opossums vary from the North American variety. Using the two characters shown here may suggest the species native to China.
See Also: Year of the Rat
愛別離苦 is a Buddhist term that refers to “the pain of separation from loved ones,” or “the suffering of being separated from those whom one loves.”
If you translate each character separately, you get, “love(s) separated [and] departed [yields] pain.”
The pain character can also be defined as anguish; suffering; distress; anxiety; worry; trouble; difficulty; hardship; bitterness; to suffer; anguish; distress; anxiety; worry; trouble; difficulty; bitterness; unhappiness; or misery.
(five-character version)
內心的寧靜 is the long way to express the idea of “peace of mind” in Chinese.
The first two characters mean heart or “innermost being.”
The middle character is a connecting modifier.
The last two characters mean peace, tranquility, or serenity.
Some may also translate this as “inner peace,” but I like our other inner-peace options for that idea.
This kind of makes sense in Korean but will have an archaic read - even by those who can understand Korean Hanja.
和平 is the Chinese order for these two characters, which means peace but can also be translated as amicability, specifically, or mildness. 和平 is often translated as a simple way to say “peace of mind.” This combination is used in Korean Hanja to mean “peace and harmony.”
Alone, the first character means peace and harmony.
The second character means balance when read by itself.
Note: 和平 are often seen in the opposite order in Japanese with the same meaning (You'll sometimes find them in this order in Japan, so either way is OK).
安心 can be defined as relief, peace of mind, feeling at ease, to be relieved, to set one's mind at rest, and easiness.
安心 is a nice word that encompasses great meanings within just two characters. Some of the other meanings include pacifying, settling the mind, and peace of mind. It's also the idea of feeling a sense of security, safety, and confidence in your state of well-being.
This can be used by everyone, but some consider it to be a Buddhist concept (You'll find it in your Zen dictionary).
Note: Can be romanized as Anshin or Anjin in Japanese.
Respect / Loyalty / Honesty
尊重忠誠誠實 is a “word list” consisting of “Respect/Loyalty/Honesty.”
Word lists are not as common in Chinese as they are in English but leaving that concern behind, this has a good meaning.
If you want to customize it more, add an inscription with your wedding date or names (just a small extra fee for translation).
Note: Because these are three separate words, the calligrapher may be inclined to leave a small space between each two-character word. Let us know if you have any preference when you place your order.
This is the Chinese name for the country of the Pitcairn Island (overseas territory of the United Kingdom).
See Also: Asia | United Kingdom
悟性 means the power of understanding and insight in Chinese.
It is often associated with Neo-Confucianism. In that regard, it means to realize, perceive, or have the perception of man's true nature. It can also mean finding your soul, the soul of others, or the soul of the world. Some will translate this simply as the state of being “savvy.”
In Japanese, this is often translated as wisdom and understanding.
生活信條 is a Chinese proverb that means “principles of life” or “The personal obligations and rules that you live by.”
For instance, if you were a vegetarian, the act of not eating meat fits into this category.
This could also be translated as a “Way of living.”
大展宏圖 is a four-character proverb used in Chinese to mean “realize your ambitions” or “exhibit your ambition and success.”
It's used to talk about someone with great career ambitions. Almost literally, it expresses the idea of someone unfolding a great career like a map or a set of blueprint plans.
Very literally translated, these four characters mean “Great unfolding of a huge map” or “Great exhibition of a colossal plan.”
This is the Chinese name for Puerto Rico (overseas territory of the United States) .
See Also: United States of America | North America
心澄淨 is the Buddhist concept of the pure and calm mind. It is believed that once you achieve a meditative state of pure focused thought, the mind becomes clear and calm. Although, others will say this means that achieving a calm mind will allow you to reach pure thought.
From Sanskrit, this is known as citta-prasāda. The concept of citta-prasāda is sometimes defined as “clear heart-mind,” or “the single and definitive aspiration.”
追尋夢想 means “pursue your dreams,” “follow your dreams,” or “chase your dreams” in Chinese.
The first two characters mean “to pursue,” “to track down,” or “to search for.”
The last two mean dreams. This version of dreams refers to those with an element of reality (not the dreams you have when you sleep but rather your aspirations or goals in life).
This title will tell everyone that you want to make your dreams come true.
See Also: Pursuit of Happiness
追尋幸福 is the best way to translate the English phrase “pursuit of happiness” into Chinese.
The first two characters mean “to pursue,” “to track down,” or “to search for.”
The last two mean happiness, happy, or being blessed.
See Also: Follow Your Dreams
白天不做亏心事夜半敲门不吃惊 literally translates as: [If one does] not do bad things in the daytime, one need not be alarmed at knocks on the door in the middle of the night.
The meaning is something like, “A quiet conscience sleeps in thunder.” Basically, the message is, “don't commit crimes and you won't be jumpy every time the doorbell rings (so don't do anything wrong and your life will have fewer worries and you can sleep at night).”
光芒 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja for radiance meaning rays of light, brilliant rays, beams of light, etc.
光芒 is the radiance you feel when the sun hits your face in the morning, bringing you warmth while kickstarting your vitamin D production.
復活 is the Chinese, Japanese and Korean word for resurrection or rebirth.
復活 literally means “return to life.”
It is the term used in most Asian Bibles to refer to the resurrection of Christ. In Japanese, it is sometimes used to mean a Christian Revival. In some contexts, it can mean resuscitation.
See Also: Christianity | Jesus Christ | God of Abraham
姻緣紅線 is the legendary red string of destiny that binds all soul mates or lovers together.
In ancient Chinese culture, a mythological matchmaker named 月老 (Yuè Lǎo) was the controller of the fate that led lovers to meet. He did this by tying a celestial red string to the ankle of each person. Sometime during their life, they will meet and marry as fate dictates.
While the origin of the red string comes from China, it has spread to other parts of Asia (such as Japan, where it's known as 赤い糸).
打たれ強い is often used as a martial arts term.
It means being able to take a lot of punishment or being able to take a hit. In Japanese baseball, it can also refer to the pitcher's ability to keep his cool when the batter gets a hit. 打たれ強い is generally about being resilient and strong in the face of criticism or adversity.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
打怕的人是假的敬怕的人是真的 is a proverb that seems to be aimed at world leaders or others in power. Perhaps a suggestion to avoid the practice of “fear-mongering” opting instead for a policy of benevolence and justice.
An example: When the Bush administration told Pakistan they could either join America in the “war on terror,” or expect some bombs to be coming their way, Bush gained this kind of “less-than-genuine respect” from Pakistanis.
Leaders in places like North Korea and even Saudi Arabia reap the same bogus respect from their own citizens.
Note that calligraphers do not like to repeat the same characters in exactly the same way in the same piece of artwork. So expect the characters that are repeated to be written in different forms in the real artwork (unlike the way they are displayed to the left).
文江學海 is a Chinese proverb that reads, “river of literacy, a sea of learning”
This suggests that there is a lot to learn in the world, with an eternal amount of reading and things to study.
文江學海 is one way to translate the quote from Hippocrates, “ars longa, vita brevis,” meaning “it takes a long time to acquire and perfect one's expertise.”
See Also: Learning is Eternal
河東獅吼 is actually a proverb and joke about the plight and fear of a hen-pecked husband.
In ancient times, it was used to describe a wife who would berate her husband or go into jealous rages. However, this phrase currently brings about ideas of a husband that cowers in fear and cringes when his wife screams (or roars) at him.
Please only purchase this as a good-natured joke. If your wife or husband does not have a good sense of humor, it's probably not a good idea to hang this on your wall to irritate your mate.
大笑 can be translated as “roar of laughter,” “loud laughter,” “hearty laugh,” or “cachinnation.”
The first character means big or great, and the second means to laugh or smile.
If you like humor, this is a great wall scroll to hang in your home.
See Also: The Whole Room Rocks With Laughter
Novel Title
赠人玫瑰手留余香 is a proverb that has been translated several ways:
1. Roses given, fragrance in hand.
2. You present others roses, and the fragrance remains.
3. The fragrance of the rose always remains on the hand of those that bestow them.
4. A little bit of fragrance always clings to the hands which gives the flowers
However, this literally translates as “Give someone rose flowers, [your] hands keep [the] remaining fragrance.”
輪廻 is one of a few ways to express संसार or Saṃsāra in Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean.
The Buddhist term can be translated in several ways, including:
An endless cycle of death and rebirth.
The turning of the wheel.
To revolve.
Transmigration in six ways.
The wheel of transmigration.
The round of existence.
僧 is the single-character or short form of Sangha, the Buddhist idea of community or order (of monks, nuns, or followers of the Buddha).
Alone, this character can simply mean “monk” (Just means monk in Japanese).
Note that when writing this as Kanji, Japanese will tend to write this in the form shown to the right. If you select our Japanese master calligrapher, please expect this special Kanji form.
殺人剣 is a Japanese title for “Death Sword,” “Life Taking Sword,” or “satsujinken.”
This is the opposite of katsujinken or the “life-saving sword.” This title is not as commonly used in Japanese but pairs well when hung with katsujinken.
The first two Kanji are a word that translates as homicide, murder or kill (a person). 殺人剣 is specifically to kill a person (as the second character means person or human) as opposed to an animal, etc.
The last Kanji is the Japanese variant of the originally-Chinese character for a sword.
See Also: Katsujinken
蘇格蘭 is the Chinese name for Scotland.
See Also: Great Britain | United Kingdom | England | Northern Ireland | Ireland | Europe
自覺 is the idea of being conscious, self-aware, and sometimes “on one's own initiative.”
After WWII, they started using a simplified form of the second Kanji for this word in Japan. That version is shown to the right, and you can click on that Kanji if you want the modern Japanese form. Otherwise, the characters shown in the upper left are the correct ones for ancient/old/traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
自力 is a word in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, old Korean, and Buddhist term meaning: the power within oneself; self-sufficient; by oneself; self-made; self-power; inner ability.
幸福の七カ条 is the title for the 7 rules of happiness in Japanese.
The rules themselves take up a lot of space:
1. 成功や栄誉や勝ち負けを目的に、ことを行ってはいけない。
2. しないではいられないことをし続けなさい。
3. 他人との比較ではない、あくまで自分の楽しさを追及すべし。
4. 好きの力を信じる。
5. 才能と収入は別、努力は人を裏切ると心得よ。
6. 怠け者になりなさい。
7. 目に見えない世界を信じる。
...so this title is probably all you need.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Katakana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
不眠之夜长久交知人心 literally translates as: [Only one who does] not sleep, learns how long the night is; [Only by] long acquaintance [does one] learn a person ['s true] character.
Basically, this proverb suggests that we really need to experience something intimately and for a long time to really know everything about it.
This can also be translated as “Spending years with someone is the only way to know them.”
Note: Sometimes this proverb is split into just the first or second idea alone (first 5 or last 5 characters only).
靈魂伴侶 is the literal translation of “Soul Mates.”
This is kind of the western way to express “soul mates” but translated into Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
The first two characters mean “soul” or “spirit.”
The second two characters mean “mate,” “companion” or “partner.”
Although not the most common title, these characters have good meaning and will be received well in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. It's a universal title!
跆拳道精神 means “Taekwondo Spirit” or “The Spirit of Taekwondo.”
跆拳道精神 is the title of General Choi's calligraphy often referred to as “The Tenets of Taekwon-do.”
精神力量 is a title that speaks of one's soul or spirit and the capacity or strength that soul possesses.
The first two characters mean mind, heart, spirit, and/or soul.
The last two characters mean strength, capacity, or ability.
Note: Separately, these are two words in Japanese and can be pronounced, but this does not make a natural title in Japanese (best if your audience is Chinese).
無警察 means the state of anarchy.
More literally it means “without rules or judges.”
This combination of characters makes sense in Korean and Chinese but with a meaning closer to “without police.” 無警察 is kind of a weird selection for a wall scroll and a rather obscure idea (a couple of customers begged for this term, so we added it).
適者生存 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja for “survival of the fittest.”
戰術 can mean “tactics of war,” “battle tactics” or simply “tactics” (being that warfare is implied in that English word).
This word is written in the ancient and traditional form of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
In modern Japan, the first character has been simplified or modified. If you want the modern Japanese Kanji version, just click on that character shown to the right.
人道 is literally the “The Way of Being Human,” or “The Human Way.” It can also be translated as “humanity.”
人道 has a secondary meaning of “sidewalk” as in “the way for people to walk” (in Japanese and Korean only). But as calligraphy artwork, nobody will read it with that translation.
Please note that there are two ways to Romanize Dao or Tao (Daoism = Taoism). It's the same word in Chinese.
心道 means “The Way of the Heart” or “The Way of the Soul.” The first character means “heart” but can also mean soul, spirit, mind, or your essence. In this case, it is most accurately translated with the heart or soul meaning.
The second character is Dao as in Daoism. Please note, this is the same thing as Tao as in Taoism (just Romanized differently - it's always been the same in Chinese for about 2300 years.
真如 comes from the Sanskrit and Pali word often romanized as “tathata” or “tathatā.” Originally written, “तथता.”
It's a Buddhist term often translated as “thusness” or “suchness,” but this does not explain it.
A better explanation may be “the ultimate nature of all things” or “ultimate truth.” However, this gives it too strong of a feeling. This concept is sometimes described as being in awe of the simple nature of something - like a blade of grass blowing in the wind or ripples on water. It is what it is supposed to be, these things follow their nature. Amazing in their mundane simplicity.
Every sect of Buddhism will have a slightly different flavor or explanation, so don't get fixated on one definition.
Notes: Sometimes Buddhists use the word dharmatā, a synonym to tathatā.
In Japan, this can also be the female given name Mayuki, or the surname Majo.
跆拳道精神禮義廉耻忍耐克己百折不屈 is General Choi's writing that is often called “The Tenets of Taekwon-do.”
The actual title would be translated as “Taekwondo Spirit” or “The Spirit of Taekwondo.” It was originally written in Korean Hanja (Chinese characters used in Korea for about 1600 years).
General Choi's original calligraphy is shown to the right. Your custom calligraphy will be unique, and not an exact match, as each calligrapher has their own style.Traditional Korean Hanja | Modern Korean Hangul | Pronunciation | English |
跆拳道精神 | 태권도정신 | tae gweon do jeong sin | Taekwondo Spirit |
禮儀 | 예의 | ye yi | Courtesy / Etiquette / Propriety / Decorum / Formality |
廉耻 | 염치 | yeom ci | Integrity / Sense of Honor |
忍耐 | 인내 | in nae | Patience / Perseverance / Endurance |
克己 | 극기 | geug gi | Self-Control / Self-Denial / Self-Abnegation |
百折不屈 | 백절불굴 | baeg jeor bur gur | Indomitable Spirit (Undaunted even after repeated attacks from the opponent) |
Note that the pronunciation is the official version now used in South Korea. However, it is different than what you may be used to. For instance, “Taekwon-do” is “tae gweon do.” This new romanization is supposed to be closer to actual Korean pronunciation. |
進化論 can be translated as “Darwin's theory of evolution,” “evolutionary theory,” or “theory of evolution.”
Same translation for Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean. Therefore, this title is very universal.
千里も一里 is a Japanese proverb that states “A journey of a thousand miles feels like only one mile.” It is understood that in the proverb, this applies when going to see the one you love.
Note that the “mile” or 里 used in this proverb is an old Chinese “li” (pronounced “ri” in Japanese). It's not actually a mile, as the measurement is really closer to 500 meters (it would take 3 of these to get close to a western mile). Still, 1000里 (333 miles) is a long way.
The Triple Gem
三寶 is the title for “Three Precious Treasures of Buddhism” or “The Triple Gem.”
These three treasures are the Buddha 佛, the Dharma 法 (teachings or the law of the Buddha), and the Sangha 僧 (the community of monks or followers).
This term is used by most (perhaps not all) Buddhists in China, Japan, and South Korea (written the same in the original form but pronounced differently in each language). Non-Buddhists may just read this as “Three Treasures” without the religious context. For instance, there is also a “Three Treasures of Chinese Medicine” that is sometimes titled the same way.
In modern Japanese and Simplified Chinese, this is written 三宝 instead of 三寶.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained
While perhaps no longer politically correct, this Chinese proverb is a reminder that you must take risks if you want rewards.
不入虎穴焉得虎子 is similar to the English proverb, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
The literal word order of the Chinese is, “If (you) don't enter the tiger's lair/cave, how can (you) get/obtain tiger cubs?.”
Until death do us part
This is the Chinese name for the country of Trinidad and Tobago.
Definitions vary as to whether in North or South America.
See Also: North America | South America
The way of the truth
This is the Chinese name for the Turks and Caicos Islands (overseas territory of the United Kingdom).
Note: Sometimes a different fourth character is used.
See Also: Asia | United Kingdom
神龍庇護 is not the most common thing to say in Chinese, but it is grammatically correct and a cool title.
The first character means “supernatural or saintly.” The second is “dragon.” The last two mean protection. You could also translate this as something like “Protected by the Dragon God” or more closely “Holy Dragon.”
大英聯合王國 is the Chinese name for the United Kingdom.
See Also: Great Britain | England | Scotland | Ireland | Europe
Join Forces / Rally Together
團結/糰結 means to join forces, unity, united, union, combination, cooperation, or solidarity.
Regarding solidarity, this was part of the Chinese title used for the Solidarity Workers Union in Poland. In some circumstances, this can mean “hold a rally.”
While there's not a perfect match to the English word “unity” in Chinese, this word is pretty close. It contains the idea of joining forces and working as one. It could even mean rallying together to achieve a goal or defeat a common enemy.
There are several variations of these characters such as 团结, 団結, 團結, 糰結, etc. Modern Japanese will write it 団結. Just the first Kanji varies. Click on the image of that modern Japanese first Kanji to the right if you want this version instead of the traditional one.
米海兵隊 is the Japanese way to write “United States Marine Corps” or simply “U.S. Marines.”
Breaking down each Kanji, this means:
“rice (American) ocean/sea soldiers/army/military corps/regiment/group.”
This title will only make sense in Japanese, it is not the same in Chinese! Make sure you know your audience before ordering a custom wall scroll.
If you are wondering about rice, America is known as “rice country” or “rice kingdom” when literally translated. The Kanji for rice is often used as an abbreviation in front of words (like a sub-adjective) to make something “American.” Americans say “rice burner” for a Japanese car and “rice rocket” for a Japanese motorcycle. If you did the same in Japanese, it would have the opposite meaning.
Note: I have not verified this but I’ve found this title used for U.S. Marines in Korean articles, so it’s most likely a normal Korean term as well (but only in Korean Hanja).
See Also: Marine Corps | Navy | Army | Art of War | Warrior | Military
This is the Chinese name for the United States Virgin Islands (overseas territory of the United States).
See Also: North America | British Virgin Islands
天堂之音 is a title that can be translated as either “voice of heaven” or “voices from heaven.”
The first two characters mean heaven.
The third character is a possessive article (kind of like making heaven into heaven's).
The last character means voice but can also mean sound.
Note: This can be pronounced in Korean, but it's not a commonly used term.
Wa Kei Sei Jaku
和, 敬, 清, 寂 or Wa, Kei, Sei, Jaku are the principles of the way of tea or 茶道.
The meanings are:
Harmony 和 (wa).
Respect 敬 (kei).
Purity 清 (sei).
Tranquility 寂 (jaku).
These principles or tenets were created by tea master Sen Rikyu (1522-1591). More about these ideas: Chanoyu
See Also: The Way of Tea
The Way of Buddha Truth
In Taoist and Buddhist contexts, 行道 means to “Walk in the Way.” In Buddhism, that further means to follow the Buddha truth. In some Buddhist sects, this can mean making a procession around a statue of the Buddha (always with the right shoulder towards the Buddha).
Outside of that context, this can mean route (when going somewhere), the way to get somewhere, etc.
In Japanese, this can be the surname or given name Yukimichi.
兵在精而不在多將在謀而不在勇 is a proverb that informs how it is better to have warriors of quality, rather than just a large quantity of warriors in your army/force.
This literally means: [Just as] warriors [are valued for their] quality and not [just] for quantity, [so] generals [are valued] for their tactics, not [just] for [their] bravery.
See Also: 兵在精而不在多
天界力士 means “warrior of the heavenly realm” in Chinese, old Korean Hanja, and Japanese Kanji.
This is also known as Narayana in Buddhism.
精神勇士 can be translated as the spirit or soul of a warrior. The first two characters can be translated as vigor, vitality, drive, spirit, mind, heart, mental essence, and psychological component. Basically, “your soul.”
The second two characters mean “warrior” or literally “brave soldier/man,” although some will translate this word as “hero.” Therefore, this is also how to say “soul of a hero.”
Note: This title is best for Chinese and old Korean. It does make sense in Japanese but is not a common or natural Kanji combination in Japanese.
We have two versions of this phrase. The only difference is the first two and last two characters are swapped. The version here suggests that you are the warrior or hero. The other version suggests that you admire or like the idea of the spirit of a warrior.
This literally means: [The value of] soldiers/warriors lies in [their] quality.
兵在精 is part of a longer phrase that ends with “not [just] in [their] quantity.”
兵在精 is a well-known phrase in military circles, so the second part is suggested when one hears or reads these three characters.
See Also: 兵在精而不在多
If you like to ride a surfboard, and/or “The Way of the Wave” is your life, 波浪 could be the scroll for you.
The additional meanings contained in these characters include ripple, storm, surge, breaker, wandering, and unrestrained.
The Tao of the Waves
生活法 is a Japanese and Chinese title meaning “art of living” or “way of life.”
This can also be translated in a few other ways, such as “rule of life” and “the act of living.”
The “art” title kind of comes from the fact that the last character is the same as the book, “The Art of War.” So when you write your book, this is the title for “The Art of Life,” in Chinese and Japanese.
茶道 means The Way of Tea (literally, “tea way”) in Chinese and Japanese.
This may refer to a tea ceremony or a general lifestyle of tea preparation and drinking.
In Japanese, this can be pronounced sadō or chadō (seems that sadō refers more often to a tea ceremony, and chadō when it's the Way of Tea).
茶道 is also used in the Buddhist context with the same meaning as the Way of Tea.
龍之道 is how the way of the dragon is written in Chinese.
龍之道 is not the same as the Chinese movie that was titled in English as “The Way of the Dragon.” 龍之道 is, rather, the literal meaning of the dragon's way. The first character is dragon, the second is a possessive article, and the third character means way or path.
風雨無阻 is a proverb that is often translated as “Go ahead as planned regardless of the weather” or, “[Overcome] despite the rain and wind.”
This is a Chinese proverb that suggests that you are willing (or should be willing) to overcome any adversity, and accomplish your task at hand.
There is a second/optional part to this phrase that suggests that you should do this together with someone (see our other 8-character version if you want the full phrase).
The first four characters are often translated as “Go ahead as planned regardless of the weather” or, “[Overcome] despite the rain and wind.” The last four characters can mean “Stick together” but literally means “Take the same boat [together].”
風雨無阻同舟共濟 is a Chinese proverb that suggests that you are willing (or should be willing) to overcome any adversity, and accomplish your task at hand. The second part (last four characters) is sometimes left off but this second part strongly suggests that you should overcome that adversity together.
圍棋 is the Chinese title for the ancient game of strategy known as Weiqi or Wei Chi in Chinese and Go in Japanese.
Note: In Japanese, this game is known by a different single Kanji as seen to the right. If you want this Japanese "Go" character, click the Kanji to the right instead of the button above.
法輪 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja title, “The Eternal Wheel of Life,” in Buddhism.
Also known as the wheel of the law, or Buddha-truth, which can crush all evil and all opposition. It is likened to Indra's wheel, which rolls on from man-to-man, place-to-place, age-to-age.
Colloquially used in some sects to mean preaching or spreading Buddha-truth.
鉄心石腸 is a Japanese proverb that suggests you should have the inner-strength and will as hard and steadfast as iron.
It's the Japanese way of saying, “stay strong.” This is an especially uplifting thing to say to a person in distress or recovering from a disaster. It's kind of the survivor's creed.
If you literally translate this, it means “iron will, stone guts” or “iron heart, rock-hard bowels.”
You must know hardship to appreciate happiness
This literally translates as: Without having experienced the cold of winter, one cannot appreciate the warmth of spring.
Figuratively, this means: One cannot truly appreciate happiness without having gone through hardship.
There are many contrasts in life. One simply cannot fully know what joy is without having experienced misery, difficulty, and pain. How could you explain “light” if you did not have “darkness” to compare it to?
Embrace hardship, as it makes the good times seem even better.
婦女會 is an expression that means “sisterhood” as in a women's association, club, or group.
The first two characters mean “women.”
The last character means to assemble, to meet, to gather, to see, union, group, or association.
克己奉公 is a Chinese proverb that is often used to express how one should act as a government official. Most of us wish our public officials would hold themselves to higher standards. I wish I could send this scroll, along with the meaning to every member of Congress, and the President (or if I was from the UK, all the members of Parliament, and the PM)
This can also mean: “Place Strict Standards on Oneself in Public Service.”
The story behind this ancient Chinese idiom:
Cai Zun was born in China a little over 2000 years ago. In 24 AD, he joined an uprising led by Liu Xiu, who later became the emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Later, the new emperor put Cai Zun in charge of the military court. Cai Zun exercised his power in strict accordance with military law, regardless of the offender's rank or background. He even ordered the execution of one of the emperor's close servants after the servant committed a serious crime.
Cai Zun led a simple life but put great demands on himself to do all things honorably. The emperor rewarded him for his honest character and honorable nature by promoting him to the rank of General and granting him the title of Marquis.
Whenever Cai Zun would receive an award, he would give credit to his men and share the reward with them.
Cai Zun was always praised by historians who found many examples of his selfless acts that served the public interest.
Sometime long ago in history, people began to refer to Cai Zun as “ke ji feng gong.”
See Also: Unselfish | Selflessness | Altruism
This 柔 Kanji literally means flexible, pliable, gentle, or yielding.
柔 is also the first Kanji of the Japanese martial arts titles of Judo and Jujutsu (Jujitsu). In those cases, it's pronounced “ju” in Japanese. However, alone, the classic pronunciation is “yawara.” Some translate this Kanji (in the context of martial arts) as “The Heart of Judo.”
Please note that this just means pliable, gentle, and yielding in Chinese and old Korean Hanja. They do know what Judo and Jujitsu are but if this character is seen alone in China or Korea, people generally will not think of the martial arts context.
尋智者 is a Chinese title that means “Seeker of Wisdom.”
It's a little ambiguous, as you can also read this as “Seeking a Wise Person.”
Whether you are the person seeking wisdom or in the process of seeking a wise person (you will probably gain wisdom from the wise) this short phrase should suit your needs.
我命由我不由天 is often translated as “The one that shapes my destiny will always be myself rather than the God” or “Rather than Heaven, I am the master of my fate.”
Breaking down the words directly:
我命 = My fate/destiny
由我 = depends (on) me
不 = not
由天 dependant (on) Heaven.
See Also: Choose Your Own Destiny
In short, 佛義 is the Principles of Buddhism, but there is more (especially for the second character):
佛 is the character for the Buddha and Buddhism.
義 has deeper meanings including justice, righteousness, morality, honour/honor, teachings, doctrine, right, proper, righteous, loyalty, purpose, or meaning. So the single word “principles” is often used to encompass all these ideas.
光の戦士 is the Japanese title for Warrior(s) of Light.
This usually refers to the Four Warriors of Light theme from the Final Fantasy series.
Also called Light Warriors, Warriors of the Light, Knights of Light, or Heroes of Light, depending on who is translating.
There are no direct plural forms in Japanese, so warrior or warriors is the same word, 戦士 (which can also be soldier, fighter, combatant, etc.).
Aikido no Kokoro
眞智 can mean the wisdom or knowledge of ultimate truth.
眞智 is also the absolute knowledge of the non-thing or that which is immaterial. This makes more sense when you consider that true wisdom includes the knowledge of both the real and unreal, or what is material and immaterial.
In Japan, 眞智 (Masatoshi) can also be a given name.
五輪書 is the Japanese title for “The Book of Five Rings.”
五輪書 is a martial arts treatise by Miyamoto Musashi written around 1643.
Technically, these three characters are “Go Rin Sho” but an unwritten “の” or “no” which is a possessive article like the English “of” is verbally added by most Japanese. Therefore, many write this in Romaji as “Go Rin No Sho.”
Peng, Lu, Ji, An, Cai, Lie, Zhou, and Kao are the eight fundamentals or forces of Tai Chi Chuan or Taiqiquan.
棚 (Peng) refers to the outward (or upward) expansion of energy.
履 (Lu) is often referred to as “rollback.” Lu is the ability to absorb, yield/deflect incoming force.
擠 (Ji) is often thought of as a “forward press.” However, it is also best described as a “squeezing out of space.”
按 (An) is a downward movement of energy, best translated as “(relaxed) sinking.”
採 (Cai or Tsai) translated as “downward pluck.” Cai is a combination of Lu and An.
列 (Lie or Lieh) is “Split” and is a combination of Peng and Ji.
肘 (Zhou) Elbowing.
靠 (Kao) Shouldering (for when the arms are bound/distance is too close to punch).
Source: https://combativecorner.wordpress.com/2015/12/03/the-8-energies-and-5-movements-of-taijiquan/
無常の風 is an old Japanese proverb that means the wind of impermanence or the wind of change in Japanese.
This can refer to the force that ends life, like the wind scattering a flower's petals. Life is yet another impermanent existence that is fragile, blown out like a candle.
The first two characters mean uncertainty, transiency, impermanence, mutability, variable, and/or changeable.
In some Buddhist contexts, 無常 can be analogous to a spirit departing at death (with a suggestion of the impermanence of life).
The last two characters mean “of wind” or a possessive like “wind of...” but Japanese grammar will have the wind come last in the phrase.
癸卯 is the designation for the 40th year of the 60-year or sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1903, 1963, or 2023.
This is the year of the Water Rabbit. The characters here designate the year in a special way, but do not literally mean water and rabbit.
The 60 year cycle has 5 elements and 12 animals. As each cycles every year, the math works out to 5 x 12 = 60.
1903 1963 2023
風雲變幻 is a Chinese proverb that means “wind of change” or “changeable situation.”
The first character, 風, means wind, but when combined with the second character, 風雲, you have weather, winds and clouds, nature, or the elements. Colloquially, this can refer to an unstable situation or state of affairs.
The last two characters, 變幻, mean change or fluctuate.
This in-stock artwork might be what you are looking for, and ships right away...
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All of our calligraphy wall scrolls are handmade.
When the calligrapher finishes creating your artwork, it is taken to my art mounting workshop in Beijing where a wall scroll is made by hand from a combination of silk, rice paper, and wood.
After we create your wall scroll, it takes at least two weeks for air mail delivery from Beijing to you.
Allow a few weeks for delivery. Rush service speeds it up by a week or two for $10!
When you select your calligraphy, you'll be taken to another page where you can choose various custom options.
The wall scroll that Sandy is holding in this picture is a "large size"
single-character wall scroll.
We also offer custom wall scrolls in small, medium, and an even-larger jumbo size.
Professional calligraphers are getting to be hard to find these days.
Instead of drawing characters by hand, the new generation in China merely type roman letters into their computer keyboards and pick the character that they want from a list that pops up.
There is some fear that true Chinese calligraphy may become a lost art in the coming years. Many art institutes in China are now promoting calligraphy programs in hopes of keeping this unique form
of art alive.
Even with the teachings of a top-ranked calligrapher in China, my calligraphy will never be good enough to sell. I will leave that to the experts.
The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over 6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt such a feat.