Many custom options...

Tan Paper and Copper Silk Love Wall Scroll
Red Paper and Ivory Silk Love Wall Scroll
Orange Paper Love Scroll
Crazy Blue and Gold Silk Love Scroll


And formats...

Love Vertical Portrait
Love Horizontal Wall Scroll
Love Vertical Portrait

The name Lost Dazed and Confused in Chinese / Japanese...

Buy a Lost Dazed and Confused calligraphy wall scroll here!

Personalize your custom “Lost Dazed and Confused” project by clicking the button next to your favorite “Lost Dazed and Confused” title below...


  1. Lost / Dazed and Confused

  2. Lost Soul

  3. Lost Love

  4. Mark the boat to find the lost sword / Ignoring the changing circumstances of the world

  5. Broken Hearted

  6. Lonely Soul / Lost Soul

  7. Opportunity Knocks Only Once

  8. Giraffe

  9. Lonely Soul / Solitary

10. Tenra

11. Samoa

12. Queen Bee

13. England

14. Giant Panda

15. Marine / Soldier of the Sea

16. Chu

17. American Samoa

18. Chaos / Anarchy / Confusion / Mayhem

19. American Football

20. Thug Life

21. American Football

22. Dignity / Honor / Sanctity / Integrity

23. Honda

24. Naruto

25. Crazy / Mad / Wild

26. Death Before Dishonor

27. Katana

28. Death Before Dishonor

29. Sword

30. John 3:16

31. Honor

32. Mountain Travels Poem by Dumu

33. Unselfish: Perfectly Impartial

34. Better Late Than Never

35. A sly rabbit has three openings to its den

36. Corinthians 13:4

37. Push or Knock

38. Past experience is the teacher for the future


Lost / Dazed and Confused

 mí
 mei
 
Lost / Dazed and Confused Scroll

迷 is one of those characters that can mean a lot of different things depending on context. When written alone, as a single character on a wall scroll, it opens up the possibilities and allows you to decide what it means to you.

The key definition is “to be lost.” This could be physically or mentally lost. It can be someone lost in their thoughts, lost in an ocean, or just confused about where they are. The reason for the confused state may be due to internal or external reasons.

Here are some entries from various Asian dictionaries...

Chinese: lost, confused, bewilder, crazy about, fan, enthusiast, mystery.

Japanese: lost, astray, perplexed, in doubt, err, illusion.

Korean: lost, bewildered, fascinated, deluded.

 sàng hún shī pò
Lost Soul Scroll

喪魂失魄 is a Chinese idiom that means “lost soul, vanished spirit.”

It relays a feeling of being distraught, at a loss, or heartbroken.

 ai mei
Lost Love Scroll

荷花 is a Japanese title that can mean straying from love, falling out of love, or losing love.

Mark the boat to find the lost sword / Ignoring the changing circumstances of the world

 kè zhōu qiú jiàn
 kokushuukyuuken
Mark the boat to find the lost sword / Ignoring the changing circumstances of the world Scroll

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.

Broken Hearted

 shī liàn
 shitsuren
Broken Hearted Scroll

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).

Lonely Soul / Lost Soul

 gū hún
Lonely Soul / Lost Soul Scroll

孤魂 is a Chinese title that means “lonely soul.”

In the context of being a soul without a mate or all alone, this can be translated as a “lost soul.”

Opportunity Knocks Only Once

 jī bù kě shī shí bù zài lái
Opportunity Knocks Only Once Scroll

機不可失, 時不再來 is often translated as Opportunity Knocks Only Once in Chinese.

The more literal meaning is, “This chance is not to be lost, it won't come again.”

 zhǎng jǐng lù
Giraffe Scroll

長頸鹿 is the Chinese word for Giraffe (the animal).

Not to be confused with the mythical “kirin” or “qilin” beast.

Lonely Soul / Solitary

 xíng dān yǐng zhī
Lonely Soul / Solitary Scroll

形單影隻 is a Chinese idiom that means “lonely soul” if you are a solitary person, or a lost soul, this may be the title for you.

 tiān luō
 tenra
Tenra Scroll

天羅 is the title Tenra, as in Tenra War, the Japanese role-playing game.

This title can be confused in China with 天羅國, the ancient Kingdom of Devala.

 sà mó yà
Samoa Scroll

薩摩亞 is the Chinese name for the country of Samoa (formerly known as Western Samoa).

The official name is the Independent State of Samoa. Not to be confused with American Somoa which is to the southeast.


See Also:  Oceania

 fēng wáng
Queen Bee Scroll

I added 蜂王 because a customer got confused about queens.

In Chinese, they do not use the same title of queen for bees as they do for humans. 蜂王 is the proper title for the queen bee of a hive.

England

Can mean: Courage / Bravery

 yīng
 ei
 
England Scroll

In Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean, 英 can often be confused or read as a short name for England (this character is the first syllable of the word for England, the English language, the British Pound, and other titles from the British Isles).

In some contexts, this can mean “outstanding” or even “flower.” But it will most often read as having something to do with the United Kingdom.


This is not the most common way to say hero, courage or bravery but you may see it used sometimes.

I strongly recommend that you choose another form of courage/bravery.

 dà xióng māo
Giant Panda Scroll

大熊貓 is how to write “giant panda” in Chinese.

大熊貓 is specific to the “giant panda,” which has black and white fur. Not to be confused with other types of smaller pandas in China.

The literal meaning of these characters is “great/big bear cat.” Chinese do think of pandas as “cat-like bears.”


Note: In Japanese, they only express Giant Panda in Katakana, which is ジャイアント パンダ” (Jaianto Panda). So we have not included that for wall scroll orders.

Marine / Soldier of the Sea

 kai hei
Marine / Soldier of the Sea Scroll

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

 chù
 
Chu Scroll

This is a Chinese surname that romanizes as Chu.

Please note, there are several surnames that romanize as Chu. In fact, in the mainland, names that romanize as Zhu would be Chu in Taiwan. It's easy to get confused to please email me if you are not sure about which surname you need (send me an image of the character if you can).

American Samoa

 měi shǔ sà mó yà
American Samoa Scroll

This is the Chinese name for the territory of American Samoa (formerly known as Eastern Samoa).

This should not be confused with Independent Somoa which is to the west.

If you want just a general “Samoa” title, just use the plain “Samoa” entry, as it does not actually designate western, eastern, American, or independent.


See Also:  Oceania

Chaos / Anarchy / Confusion / Mayhem

 hùn luàn
 kon ran
Chaos / Anarchy / Confusion / Mayhem Scroll

The first character means confused, dirty, muddy, or mixed.

The second character means confusion and disorder.

Together, these characters mean chaos and sometimes extended to mean a type of anarchy.

This term is often used in a less-than-literal term to describe anything in disarray. Someone might use this word in a sentence like, “My kitchen is in a state of chaos” or “my life is so chaotic.”


Japanese Chaos Please note that Japanese use an alternate/simplified version of the second character of chaos - it also happens to be the same simplification used in mainland China. Click on the character to the right if you want the Japanese/Simplified version of this two-character chaos calligraphy.

American Football

 ame futou
American Football Scroll

アメフト is a short word that means “American football” in Japanese.

It is supposed to sound like an abbreviated version, “ame futo” which sounds like “ah-may foot-oh” (American Football).

There's not a great standard way to say “football” in Japanese, as the sport is not popular in Japan. Other Japanese terms for football can be confused with soccer or rugby.


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


See Also:  Soccer

 bào tú shēng huó
 bou to sei katsu
Thug Life Scroll

暴徒生活 is probably the best way to say “Thug Life” in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

It's a strange title, to be sure, so expect native Asian people to be confused when they see your Thug Life calligraphy.

The first two characters mean bandit, thug, ruffian, insurgent, rioter, or mob.

The last two characters mean life, live, or living.

American Football

 měi shì gǎn lǎn qiú
American Football Scroll

美式橄欖球 is the Chinese title for “American football” (not to be confused with international football known as soccer in the USA).

If you are a player or fan of American football, this will make a great wall scroll for your home.

The first two characters mean “American style.”
The last three characters mean football or rugby (a game involving an oblong or ovoid ball).
The “American” adjective is needed in this title to differentiate between Canadian football, Australian rules football, and rugby.


See Also:  Soccer

Dignity / Honor / Sanctity / Integrity

 zūn yán
 son gen
Dignity / Honor / Sanctity / Integrity Scroll

尊嚴 is a form of honor that means showing great respect for yourself, other people, and the rules you live by.

When you are honorable, you keep your word. You do the right thing regardless of what others are doing.

尊嚴 is the kind of personal honor or dignity that is of great value. If you lose this, you have lost yourself and perhaps the reputation of your family as well.

While this is not directly the same thing as “face” or “saving face” in Asian culture, it is associated with the same concept in China.


厳In Japan, they currently use a more simplified second character for this word. The ancient Japanese form is the same as China but after WWII some Kanji were changed. If you want the modern Japanese version, just click on the Kanji image shown to the right, instead of the button above.

 běn tián
 honden
Honda Scroll

本田 is the Japanese name, Honda, which is both a surname and the car company.

However, the full name of the Honda Motor Corporation is 本田技研工業株式会社. The short version is 本田技研工業. The two Kanji, 本田, would be the shortest way to write Honda, but it can be confused with other Honda names (surnames and given names).

本田 also be pronounced Motoda, Honden, or Honta (various surnames in Japan written the same way, but pronounced differently).

Technically, the word honda means rice paddy.

Naruto

Japanese Anime Series

 na ru to
Naruto Scroll

ナルト is the title “Naruto” from the Japanese animation series. See Naruto Anime Series.

Because of the unique Japanese character set used to write this title, it can only be written by the Japanese master calligrapher. Do not try to order it from one of my Chinese calligraphers.

Please note that while this is the correct title for this anime series, it can also mean the “@” sign or “at” in Japanese under a different context (a Japanese person not familiar with the series may be confused by your wall scroll).


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

Crazy / Mad / Wild

 kuáng
 kyou
 
Crazy / Mad / Wild Scroll

狂 is a single character that means “crazy” in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

狂 means crazy, unrestrained, lunatic, insane, confused, deranged, wild, or mad.

This can also refer to an extreme enthusiast (like a football fan). But then, it can also refer to a person possessing a mental abnormality.

In some contexts, this can mean conceited (it probably won't be read that way on a wall scroll).

A warning: 狂 is an odd selection for a wall scroll. You should only order this if you plan to bewilder or confuse those who see it. It kind of says something about you, something that most native Asian people will not view in a good light.

Death Before Dishonor

Better to be broken jade than unbroken pottery

 níng wéi yù suì bù wéi wǎ quán
Death Before Dishonor Scroll

寧為玉碎不為瓦全 is the long version of a Chinese proverb that means “rather be shattered piece of jade than an unbroken piece of pottery.”

A little more explanation:
Death is implied with the “broken” meaning. Jade is one of the most precious materials in Chinese history, and in this case, is compared with one's honor and self-worth. Pottery is just something you eat off of, it has no deep value, just as a person who has lost their honor, or had none to begin with.
Thus, this means “better to die with honor than to live in shame” or words to that effect.

寧為玉碎不為瓦全 is often translated in English as “Death Before Dishonor,” the famous military slogan.

I would also compare this to the English proverb, “Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.”


This is an idiom. It therefore doesn’t directly say exactly what it means. If you think about the English idiom, "The grass is always greener," it does not directly say "jealousy" or "envy" but everyone knows that it is implied.

Katana

Japanese Samurai Sword

 dāo
 katana
 
Katana Scroll

刀 is the Japanese Kanji for “sword.” This refers to the style of sword carried by warriors, samurai, and shogun of ancient Japan.

With the pacification of Japan, such swords are now only used for ceremony and decoration. The true art of sword-smithing is all but lost in Japan with new sword production dedicated to making inexpensive replicas for the tourist and foreign market.

For those of you that want to ask whether I can get you a real antique sword. Let me tell you that most real Asian swords were melted down after WWII in Japan, and during the Great Leap Forward in China. Any remaining swords are family heirlooms that nobody will part with.

Please carefully note that the Japanese kanji character shown above is only for a Japanese audience. In China, this character means “knife.” See our other entry for “sword” in Chinese.
Note: 刀 can mean knife, sword, or blade in Korean, depending on context.


See Also:  Sword

Death Before Dishonor

Better to be broken jade than unbroken pottery

 níng wéi yù suì
Death Before Dishonor Scroll

寧為玉碎 is the short version of a longer Chinese proverb which means “rather be shattered piece of jade than an unbroken piece of pottery.”

寧為玉碎 says the “rather be a broken piece of jade” part (the second half is implied - everyone in China knows this idiom).

A little more explanation:
Death is implied with the “broken” meaning. Jade is one of the most precious materials in Chinese history, and in this case, is compared with one's honor and self-worth. Pottery is just something you eat off of; it has no deep value, just as a person who has lost their honor or had none to begin with.
Thus, this means “better to die with honor than to live in shame” or words to that effect.

This is often translated in English as “Death Before Dishonor,” the famous military slogan.

I would also compare this to the English proverb, “Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.”

 jiàn
 ken / tsurugi
 
Sword Scroll

劍 is pronounced “jian” in Chinese. When you say it, imagine that you are making the sound of a sword as it clashes with a metal shield. This might get you closer to the correct pronunciation in Chinese.

I actually wonder if this word came from the metallic ringing sounds of a sword in battle - but such knowledge is lost in history.

The sword is a symbol of a warrior. The one thing that a soldier in ancient China lived and died by. A warrior with his skills and sword proves himself of great value. A warrior who losses his sword instantly becomes worthless.

劍 is an excellent scroll for someone in the military (especially officers of all services - as well as enlisted NCO Marines since they still carry swords even if mainly for ceremonial purposes). Or perhaps someone who practices variations of kung fu or tai chi that involve weapons.

Please note that while this character is understood with the sword meaning in Japanese, you might be looking for the word “katana” which also means sword in Japanese but means “knife” in Chinese.


There are other ways to write sword, and here are a few...
Common Japanese and rare Chinese traditional form of sword Typical traditional form of sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese This one kind of means golden sword in Chinese Typical traditional form of sword in Chinese Common Japanese and rare Chinese traditional form of sword Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese This one kind of means golden sword in Chinese Typical traditional form of sword in Chinese Typical traditional form of sword in Chinese Common Japanese and rare Chinese traditional form of sword Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese This one kind of means golden sword in Chinese Typical traditional form of sword in Chinese Common Japanese and rare Chinese traditional form of sword Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese This one kind of means golden sword in Chinese Typical traditional form of sword in Chinese Common Japanese and rare Chinese traditional form of sword Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese This one kind of means golden sword in Chinese
If you are particular about the version you receive, please let me know when you place your order (Note: Special styles are only available from one of our master calligraphers).

 shén ài shì rén shèn zhì jiāng tā de dú shēng zǐ cì gè tā mén jiào yí qiè xìn tā de bú zhì miè wáng fǎn dé yǒng shēng
John 3:16 Scroll

神愛世人甚至將他的獨生子賜給他們叫一切信他的不至滅亡反得永生 is the full translation of John 3:16 into Chinese.

This is from the Chinese Union Bible which comes from a revised version of the King James. This Chinese Bible was originally translated and printed in 1919 (several revisions since then).

Because of the origin being the KJV, I'll say that in English, this would be, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

As with any translation, there are interesting cultural and linguistic issues. For instance, the word used for “world” in Chinese can also mean “common people.” So you could say that it means “For God so loved the common people...”
This does not take away from the text, as it will be understood with the same meaning and connotation.

There is no direct Greek-to-Chinese translation in print (that I know of), so this is the best available. Of course, you can ask any Greek person of faith, and they will claim that a bit is lost from the original Greek of the New Testament to any of the English versions of the Bible in print.

Honor

(Modern Japanese version)

 míng yù
 meiyo
Honor Scroll

名譽 is a version of honor that is about having or earning the respect of others and about your reputation.

It is the status of being worthy of honor (not to be confused with doing honorable things or specific actions - see our other “honor” listing for that).

譽 Both modern Japanese and modern mainland Chinese use the same simplified version of the second character of honor. You can make a special request for the traditional second character as shown to the right (just click on that character to the right of you want to order that version). Before WWII, both Japan and China used the traditional form but modern Japanese and Chinese use this simplified form. Koreans still use the traditional form when they are not writing in their modern Hangul glyphs.


This is also a virtue of the Samurai Warrior
See our page with just Code of the Samurai / Bushido here

Mountain Travels Poem by Dumu

 yuǎn shàng hán shān shí jìng xiá bái yún shēng chù yǒu rén jiā tíng chē zuò ài fēng lín wǎn shuàng yè hóng yú èr yuè huā
Mountain Travels Poem by Dumu Scroll

This poem was written almost 1200 years ago during the Tang dynasty.

It depicts traveling up a place known as Cold Mountain, where some hearty people have built their homes. The traveler is overwhelmed by the beauty of the turning leaves of the maple forest that surrounds him just as night overtakes the day, and darkness prevails. His heart implores him to stop, and take in all of the beauty around him.

First, before you get to the full translation, I must tell you that Chinese poetry is a lot different than what we have in the west. Chinese words simply don't rhyme in the same way that English or other western languages do. Chinese poetry depends on rhythm and a certain beat of repeated numbers of characters.

I have done my best to translate this poem keeping a certain feel of the original poet. But some of the original beauty of the poem in its original Chinese will be lost in translation.


Far away on Cold Mountain, a stone path leads upwards.
Among white clouds, people's homes reside.
Stopping my carriage I must, as to admire the maple forest at nights fall.
In awe of autumn leaves showing more red than even flowers of early spring.


Hopefully, this poem will remind you to stop, and “take it all in” as you travel through life.
The poet's name is “Du Mu” in Chinese that is: 杜牧.
The title of the poem, “Mountain Travels” is: 山行
You can have the title, poet's name, and even “Tang Dynasty” written as an inscription on your custom wall scroll if you like.

More about the poet:

Dumu lived from 803-852 AD and was a leading Chinese poet during the later part of the Tang dynasty.
He was born in Chang'an, a city in central China and the former capital of the ancient Chinese empire in 221-206 BC. In present-day China, his birthplace is currently known as Xi'an, the home of the Terracotta Soldiers.

He was awarded his Jinshi degree (an exam administered by the emperor's court which leads to becoming an official of the court) at the age of 25 and went on to hold many official positions over the years. However, he never achieved a high rank, apparently because of some disputes between various factions, and his family's criticism of the government. His last post in the court was his appointment to the office of Secretariat Drafter.

During his life, he wrote scores of narrative poems, as well as a commentary on the Art of War and many letters of advice to high officials.

His poems were often very realistic and often depicted everyday life. He wrote poems about everything, from drinking beer in a tavern to weepy poems about lost love.

The thing that strikes you most is the fact even after 1200 years, not much has changed about the beauty of nature, toils, and troubles of love and beer drinking.

Unselfish: Perfectly Impartial

 dà gōng wú sī
Unselfish: Perfectly Impartial Scroll

大公無私 is a Chinese proverb that comes from an old story from some time before 476 BC. About a man named Qi Huangyang, who was commissioned by the king to select the best person for a certain job in the Imperial Court.

Qi Huangyang selected his enemy for the job. The king was very confused by the selection, but Qi Huangyang explained that he was asked to find the best person for the job, not necessarily someone that he liked or had a friendship with.

Later, Confucius commented on how unselfish and impartial Qi Huangyang was by saying, “Da Gong Wu Si” which, if you look it up in a Chinese dictionary, is generally translated as “Unselfish” or “Just and Fair.”

If you translate each character, you'd have something like

“Big/Deep Justice Without Self.”

Direct translations like this leave out a lot of what the Chinese characters really say. Use your imagination, and suddenly you realize that “without self” means “without thinking about yourself in the decision” - together, these two words mean “unselfish.” The first two characters serve to drive the point home that we are talking about a concept that is similar to “blind justice.”

One of my Chinese-English dictionaries translates this simply as “just and fair.” So that is the short and simple version.

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


See Also:  Selflessness | Work Unselfishly for the Common Good | Altruism

Better Late Than Never

It's Never Too Late Too Mend

 wáng yáng bǔ láo yóu wèi wéi wǎn
Better Late Than Never Scroll

Long ago in what is now China, there were many kingdoms throughout the land. This time period is known as “The Warring States Period” by historians because these kingdoms often did not get along with each other.

Sometime around 279 B.C. the Kingdom of Chu was a large but not particularly powerful kingdom. Part of the reason it lacked power was the fact that the King was surrounded by “yes men” who told him only what he wanted to hear. Many of the King's court officials were corrupt and incompetent which did not help the situation.

The King was not blameless himself, as he started spending much of his time being entertained by his many concubines.

One of the King's ministers, Zhuang Xin, saw problems on the horizon for the Kingdom, and warned the King, “Your Majesty, you are surrounded by people who tell you what you want to hear. They tell you things to make you happy and cause you to ignore important state affairs. If this is allowed to continue, the Kingdom of Chu will surely perish, and fall into ruins.”

This enraged the King who scolded Zhuang Xin for insulting the country and accused him of trying to create resentment among the people. Zhuang Xin explained, “I dare not curse the Kingdom of Chu but I feel that we face great danger in the future because of the current situation.” The King was simply not impressed with Zhuang Xin's words.
Seeing the King's displeasure with him and the King's fondness for his court of corrupt officials, Zhuang Xin asked permission from the King that he may take leave of the Kingdom of Chu, and travel to the State of Zhao to live. The King agreed, and Zhuang Xin left the Kingdom of Chu, perhaps forever.

Five months later, troops from the neighboring Kingdom of Qin invaded Chu, taking a huge tract of land. The King of Chu went into exile, and it appeared that soon, the Kingdom of Chu would no longer exist.

The King of Chu remembered the words of Zhuang Xin and sent some of his men to find him. Immediately, Zhuang Xin returned to meet the King. The first question asked by the King was “What can I do now?”

Zhuang Xin told the King this story:

A shepherd woke one morning to find a sheep missing. Looking at the pen saw a hole in the fence where a wolf had come through to steal one of his sheep. His friends told him that he had best fix the hole at once. But the Shepherd thought since the sheep is already gone, there is no use fixing the hole.
The next morning, another sheep was missing. And the Shepherd realized that he must mend the fence at once. Zhuang Xin then went on to make suggestions about what could be done to reclaim the land lost to the Kingdom of Qin, and reclaim the former glory and integrity of the Kingdom of Chu.

The Chinese idiom shown above came from this reply from Zhuang Xin to the King of Chu almost 2,300 years ago.
It translates roughly into English as...
“Even if you have lost some sheep, it's never too late to mend the fence.”

This proverb, 亡羊补牢犹未为晚, is often used in modern China when suggesting in a hopeful way that someone change their ways, or fix something in their life. It might be used to suggest fixing a marriage, quitting smoking, or getting back on track after taking an unfortunate path in life among other things one might fix in their life.

I suppose in the same way that we might say, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life” in our western cultures to suggest that you can always start anew.

Note: This does have Korean pronunciation but is not a well-known proverb in Korean (only Koreans familiar with ancient Chinese history would know it). Best if your audience is Chinese.

A sly rabbit has three openings to its den

-or- The crafty rabbit has three different entrances to its lair

 jiǎo tù sān kū
A sly rabbit has three openings to its den Scroll

狡兔三窟 speaks to the cunning character of a sly rabbit. Such a rabbit will not have just one hole but rather a few entrances and exits from his liar.

About 2,250 years ago, a rich man told his assistant to go and buy something wonderful that he did not yet possess. He was a man that already had everything, so the assistant went to a local village that owed a great deal of money to the rich man. The assistant told the village elders that all debts were forgiven. All the villagers rejoiced and praised the rich man's name. The assistant returned to the rich man and told him he had purchased “benevolence” for him. The rich man was mildly amused but perhaps slightly confused by the action.

Sometime later, the rich man fell from the favor of the Emperor and was wiped out without a penny to his name. One day he was walking aimlessly and stumbled into the village where the debts had been forgiven. The villagers recognized the man and welcomed him with open arms, clothed, fed him, and gave him a place to live.

Without trying, the man had become like the sly and cunning rabbit. When his exit was blocked, he had another hole to emerge from - and was reborn. This story and idiom come from a book titled “The Amendment” - it's unclear whether this man actually existed or not. But the book did propel this idiom into common use in China.

Still today, this idiom about the rabbit is used in China when suggesting “backup plans,” alternate methods, and anyone with a good escape plan.

Corinthians 13:4

All you need to know about LOVE

 ài shì héng jiǔ rěn nài yòu yǒu én cí ài shì bú jì dù ài shì bú zì kuā bù zhāng kuáng
Corinthians 13:4 Scroll

愛是恆久忍耐又有恩慈愛是不嫉妒愛是不自誇不張狂 is 1st Corinthians 13:4 in Chinese.

Chinese Corinthians 13:4 Love

With large “love” character added.

In English, this reads:

1st Corinthians 13:4 (KJV) Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up...

1st Corinthians 13:4 (NIV) Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

1st Corinthians 13:4 (Basic English) Love is never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride.

The Chinese translation follows the love meaning, rather than the King James' use of “charity.” I was a little confused when writing this description with the significant differences between the NIV vs. KJV translations. After speaking to a Greek scholar about this, it would seem that the KJV has an almost errant translation with the use of “charity” in place of “love.”

We used the most popular Christian Chinese Bible, which is the Chinese Union Version (CUV). The CUV was first published in 1919. We use this so that the Chinese translation would be as accurate and standard as possible. Any Chinese Christian worth their salt will easily be able to identify this verse when they see these characters.

If you want a big “love” character written above the verse on your artwork, just make a note in the “special instructions” tab when you are customizing your artwork. There is no extra charge for that service on this special verse.

Push or Knock

To weigh one's words

 fǎn fù tuī qiāo
Push or Knock Scroll

During the Tang Dynasty, a man named Jia Dao (born in the year 779), a well-studied scholar and poet, went to the capital to take the imperial examination.

One day as he rides a donkey through the city streets, a poem begins to form in his mind. A portion of the poem comes into his head like this:

“The bird sits on the tree branch near a pond,
A monk approaches and knocks at the gate...”


At the same time, he wondered if the word “push” would be better than “knock” in his poem.

As he rides down the street, he imagines the monk pushing or knocking. Soon he finds himself making motions of pushing and shaking a fist in a knocking motion as he debates which word to use. He is quite a sight as he makes his way down the street on his donkey with hands and fists flying about as the internal debate continues.

As he amuses people along the street, he becomes completely lost in his thoughts and does not see the mayor's procession coming in the opposite direction. Jia Bao is blocking the way for the procession to continue down the road, and the mayor's guards immediately decide to remove Jia Bao by force. Jia Bao, not realizing that he was in the way, apologizes, explains his poetic dilemma and awaits his punishment for blocking the mayor's way.

The mayor, Han Yu, a scholar and author of prose himself, finds himself intrigued by Jia Dao's poem and problem. Han Yu gets off his horse and addresses Jia Bao, stating, “I think knock is better.” The relieved Jia Bao raises his head and is invited by the mayor to join the procession, and are seen riding off together down the street, exchanging their ideas and love of poetry.

In modern Chinese, this 反復推敲 idiom is used when someone is trying to decide which word to use in their writing or when struggling to decide between two things when neither seems to have a downside.

Past experience is the teacher for the future

Past events not forgotten serve as teachers for later events.

 qián shì bú wàng hòu shí zhī shī
Past experience is the teacher for the future Scroll

The most literal translation to English of this ancient 前事不忘后事之师 Chinese proverb is:
“Past events not forgotten serve as teachers for later events.”

However, it's been translated several ways:
Don't forget past events, they can guide you in the future.
Benefit from past experience.
Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future.
Past calamity is my teacher.
A good memory for the past is a teacher for the future.
The remembrance of the past is the teacher of the future.
If one remembers the lessons of the past; They will serve as a guide to avoid mistakes in the future.

The origin:
This proverb comes from the 5th century B.C., just before the Warring States Period in the territory now known as China.
The head of the State of Jin, Zhi Bo, seized power in a coup. He did this with help from the armies of the State of Han and Wei. Instead of being grateful for the help from Han and Wei, he treacherously took the land of Han and Wei. Never satisfied, Zhi Bo employed the armies of Han and Wei to attack and seize the State of Zhao.

The king of Zhao took advice from his minister Zhang Mengtan and secretly contacted the Han and Wei armies to reverse their plans and attack the army of Zhi Bo instead. The plan was successful, and the State of Zhao was not only saved but was set to become a powerful kingdom in the region.

Zhang Mengtan immediately submitted his resignation to a confused king of Zhao. When asked why, Zhang Mengtan said, “I've done my duty to save my kingdom, but looking back at past experience, I know sovereign kings are never satisfied with the power or land at hand. They will join others and fight for more power and more land. I must learn from past experiences, as those experiences are the teachers of future events.”
The king could not dispute the logic in that statement and accepted Zhang Mengtan's resignation.

For generations, the State of Zhao continued to fight for power and land until finally defeated and decimated by the State of Qin (which led to the birth of the Qin Dynasty in 221 B.C.).


The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...

Title CharactersRomaji (Romanized Japanese)Various forms of Romanized Chinese
Lost
Dazed and Confused
meimí / mi2 / mi
Lost Soul喪魂失魄
丧魂失魄
sàng hún shī pò
sang4 hun2 shi1 po4
sang hun shi po
sanghunshipo
sang hun shih p`o
sanghunshihpo
sang hun shih po
Lost Love愛迷ai mei / aimei
Mark the boat to find the lost sword
Ignoring the changing circumstances of the world
刻舟求劍
刻舟求剑
kokushuukyuuken
kokushukyuken
kè zhōu qiú jiàn
ke4 zhou1 qiu2 jian4
ke zhou qiu jian
kezhouqiujian
k`o chou ch`iu chien
kochouchiuchien
ko chou chiu chien
Broken Hearted失戀
失恋
shitsurenshī liàn / shi1 lian4 / shi lian / shilianshih lien / shihlien
Lonely Soul
Lost Soul
孤魂gū hún / gu1 hun2 / gu hun / guhunku hun / kuhun
Opportunity Knocks Only Once機不可失時不再來
机不可失时不再来
jī bù kě shī shí bù zài lái
ji1 bu4 ke3 shi1 shi2 bu4 zai4 lai2
ji bu ke shi shi bu zai lai
jibukeshishibuzailai
chi pu k`o shih shih pu tsai lai
chipukoshihshihputsailai
chi pu ko shih shih pu tsai lai
Giraffe長頸鹿
长颈鹿
zhǎng jǐng lù
zhang3 jing3 lu4
zhang jing lu
zhangjinglu
chang ching lu
changchinglu
Lonely Soul
Solitary
形單影隻
形单影只
xíng dān yǐng zhī
xing2 dan1 ying3 zhi1
xing dan ying zhi
xingdanyingzhi
hsing tan ying chih
hsingtanyingchih
Tenra天羅
天罗
tenratiān luō / tian1 luo1 / tian luo / tianluot`ien lo / tienlo / tien lo
Samoa薩摩亞
萨摩亚
sà mó yà
sa4 mo2 ya4
sa mo ya
samoya
Queen Bee蜂王fēng wáng
feng1 wang2
feng wang
fengwang
Englandeiyīng / ying1 / ying
Giant Panda大熊貓
大熊猫
dà xióng māo
da4 xiong2 mao1
da xiong mao
daxiongmao
ta hsiung mao
tahsiungmao
Marine
Soldier of the Sea
海兵kai hei / kaihei
Chuchù / chu4 / chuch`u / chu
American Samoa美屬薩摩亞
美属萨摩亚
měi shǔ sà mó yà
mei3 shu3 sa4 mo2 ya4
mei shu sa mo ya
meishusamoya
Chaos
Anarchy
Confusion
Mayhem
混亂
混乱
kon ran / konranhùn luàn / hun4 luan4 / hun luan / hunluan
American Footballアメフトame futou / amefutou / ame futo
Thug Life暴徒生活bou to sei katsu
boutoseikatsu
bo to sei katsu
bào tú shēng huó
bao4 tu2 sheng1 huo2
bao tu sheng huo
baotushenghuo
pao t`u sheng huo
paotushenghuo
pao tu sheng huo
American Football美式橄欖球
美式橄榄球
měi shì gǎn lǎn qiú
mei3 shi4 gan3 lan3 qiu2
mei shi gan lan qiu
meishiganlanqiu
mei shih kan lan ch`iu
meishihkanlanchiu
mei shih kan lan chiu
Dignity
Honor
Sanctity
Integrity
尊嚴
尊严 / 尊厳
son gen / songenzūn yán / zun1 yan2 / zun yan / zunyantsun yen / tsunyen
Honda本田hondenběn tián / ben3 tian2 / ben tian / bentianpen t`ien / pentien / pen tien
Narutoナルトna ru to / naruto
Crazy
Mad
Wild

kyou / kyokuáng / kuang2 / kuangk`uang / kuang
Death Before Dishonor寧為玉碎不為瓦全
宁为玉碎不为瓦全
níng wéi yù suì bù wéi wǎ quán
ning2 wei2 yu4 sui4 bu4 wei2 wa3 quan2
ning wei yu sui bu wei wa quan
ningweiyusuibuweiwaquan
ning wei yü sui pu wei wa ch`üan
ning wei yü sui pu wei wa chüan
Katanakatanadāo / dao1 / daotao
Death Before Dishonor寧為玉碎
宁为玉碎
níng wéi yù suì
ning2 wei2 yu4 sui4
ning wei yu sui
ningweiyusui
ning wei yü sui
ningweiyüsui
Sword
ken / tsurugijiàn / jian4 / jianchien
John 3:16神愛世人甚至將他的獨生子賜給他們叫一切信他的不至滅亡反得永生
神爱世人甚至将他的独生子赐给他们叫一切信他的不至灭亡反得永生
shén ài shì rén shèn zhì jiāng tā de dú shēng zǐ cì gè tā mén jiào yí qiè xìn tā de bú zhì miè wáng fǎn dé yǒng shēng
shen2 ai4 shi4 ren2 shen4 zhi4 jiang1 ta1 de du2 sheng1 zi3 ci4 gei3 ta1 men2 jiao4 yi2 qie4 xin4 ta1 de bu2 zhi4 mie4 wang2 fan3 de2 yong3 sheng1
shen ai shi ren shen zhi jiang ta de du sheng zi ci gei ta men jiao yi qie xin ta de bu zhi mie wang fan de yong sheng
shen ai shih jen shen chih chiang t`a te tu sheng tzu tz`u kei t`a men chiao i ch`ieh hsin t`a te pu chih mieh wang fan te yung sheng
shen ai shih jen shen chih chiang ta te tu sheng tzu tzu kei ta men chiao i chieh hsin ta te pu chih mieh wang fan te yung sheng
Honor名譽
名誉
meiyomíng yù / ming2 yu4 / ming yu / mingyuming yü / mingyü
Mountain Travels Poem by Dumu遠上寒山石徑斜白雲生處有人家停車坐愛楓林晚霜葉紅於二月花
远上寒山石径斜白云生处有人家停车坐爱枫林晚霜叶红于二月花
yuǎn shàng hán shān shí jìng xiá bái yún shēng chù yǒu rén jiā tíng chē zuò ài fēng lín wǎn shuàng yè hóng yú èr yuè huā
yuan3 shang4 han2 shan1 shi2 jing4 xia2 bai2 yun2 sheng1 chu4 you3 ren2 jia1 ting2 che1 zuo4 ai4 feng1 lin2 wan3 shuang4 ye4 hong2 yu2 er4 yue4 hua1
yuan shang han shan shi jing xia bai yun sheng chu you ren jia ting che zuo ai feng lin wan shuang ye hong yu er yue hua
yüan shang han shan shih ching hsia pai yün sheng ch`u yu jen chia t`ing ch`e tso ai feng lin wan shuang yeh hung yü erh yüeh hua
yüan shang han shan shih ching hsia pai yün sheng chu yu jen chia ting che tso ai feng lin wan shuang yeh hung yü erh yüeh hua
Unselfish: Perfectly Impartial大公無私
大公无私
dà gōng wú sī
da4 gong1 wu2 si1
da gong wu si
dagongwusi
ta kung wu ssu
takungwussu
Better Late Than Never亡羊補牢猶未為晚
亡羊补牢犹未为晚
wáng yáng bǔ láo yóu wèi wéi wǎn
wang2 yang2 bu3 lao2 you2 wei4 wei2 wan3
wang yang bu lao you wei wei wan
wang yang pu lao yu wei wei wan
wangyangpulaoyuweiweiwan
A sly rabbit has three openings to its den狡兔三窟jiǎo tù sān kū
jiao3 tu4 san1 ku1
jiao tu san ku
jiaotusanku
chiao t`u san k`u
chiaotusanku
chiao tu san ku
Corinthians 13:4愛是恆久忍耐又有恩慈愛是不嫉妒愛是不自誇不張狂
爱是恒久忍耐又有恩慈爱是不嫉妒爱是不自夸不张狂
ài shì héng jiǔ rěn nài yòu yǒu én cí ài shì bú jì dù ài shì bú zì kuā bù zhāng kuáng
ai4 shi4 heng2 jiu3 ren3 nai4 you4 you3 en2 ci2 ai4 shi4 bu2 ji4 du4 ai4 shi4 bu2 zi4 kua1 bu4 zhang1 kuang2
ai shi heng jiu ren nai you you en ci ai shi bu ji du ai shi bu zi kua bu zhang kuang
ai shih heng chiu jen nai yu yu en tz`u ai shih pu chi tu ai shih pu tzu k`ua pu chang k`uang
ai shih heng chiu jen nai yu yu en tzu ai shih pu chi tu ai shih pu tzu kua pu chang kuang
Push or Knock反復推敲
反复推敲
fǎn fù tuī qiāo
fan3 fu4 tui1 qiao1
fan fu tui qiao
fanfutuiqiao
fan fu t`ui ch`iao
fanfutuichiao
fan fu tui chiao
Past experience is the teacher for the future前事不忘后事之師
前事不忘后事之师
qián shì bú wàng hòu shí zhī shī
qian2 shi4 bu2 wang4 hou4 shi2 zhi1 shi1
qian shi bu wang hou shi zhi shi
ch`ien shih pu wang hou shih chih shih
chien shih pu wang hou shih chih shih
In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line.
In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese.


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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!

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A nice Chinese calligraphy wall scroll

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.

A professional Chinese Calligrapher

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.

Trying to learn Chinese calligrapher - a futile effort

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.

A high-ranked Chinese master calligrapher that I met in Zhongwei

The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over 6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt such a feat.


Check out my lists of Japanese Kanji Calligraphy Wall Scrolls and Old Korean Hanja Calligraphy Wall Scrolls.

Some people may refer to this entry as Lost Dazed and Confused Kanji, Lost Dazed and Confused Characters, Lost Dazed and Confused in Mandarin Chinese, Lost Dazed and Confused Characters, Lost Dazed and Confused in Chinese Writing, Lost Dazed and Confused in Japanese Writing, Lost Dazed and Confused in Asian Writing, Lost Dazed and Confused Ideograms, Chinese Lost Dazed and Confused symbols, Lost Dazed and Confused Hieroglyphics, Lost Dazed and Confused Glyphs, Lost Dazed and Confused in Chinese Letters, Lost Dazed and Confused Hanzi, Lost Dazed and Confused in Japanese Kanji, Lost Dazed and Confused Pictograms, Lost Dazed and Confused in the Chinese Written-Language, or Lost Dazed and Confused in the Japanese Written-Language.

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