I have been looking into some Japanese proverbs and sayings to influence my surface pattern brief. Initially I intended to look at the Shinto faith, but I believe that this subject matter narrows my outcomes down to illustrations of certain gods or 'characters'.
Looking at Japanese sayings leaves much more room for interpretation, as the direct translations from Japanese to English show the similarities with commonly known sayings in our own culture. Exploring these direct translations highlight how the Japanese have a wonderful way of visualising proverbs into direct scenarios, making them easier to visualise. A way for me to interpret these into my own work would be to use the commonly known English sayings, but illustrate them using the direct Japanese translation.
Here are some of my favourites that I have come across.
猿も木から落ちる。 (Saru mo ki kara ochiru) Literally: Even monkeys fall from trees.
Meaning: Everyone makes mistakes. / Nobody's perfect.
井の中の蛙大海を知らず。 (I no naka no kawazu taikai wo shirazu) Literally: A frog in a well does not know the great sea.
Meaning: People are satisfied to judge things by their own narrow experience, never knowing of the wide world outside.
蛙の子は蛙。 (Kaeru no ko wa kaeru) Literally: Child of a frog is a frog.
Meaning: Like father, like son.
知らぬが仏 (Shiranu ga hotoke) Literally: Not knowing is Buddha.
Meaning: Ignorance is bliss. / It's better to not know the truth.
覆水盆に帰らず。 (Fukusui bon ni kaerazu) Literally: Spilt water will not return to the tray.
Meaning: It's no use crying over spilt milk. / A separated couple can never go back to as it was.
見ぬが花 (Minu ga hana) Literally: Not seeing is a flower.
Meaning: Things will never be as you imagine, so you're better off not seeing them. / Reality can't compete with imagination.
猫に小判 (neko ni koban) Literally: gold coins to a cat.
Meaning: Giving a gift to someone who can't appreciate it; A useless gesture; "Pearls before swine."
猫に鰹節 (neko ni katsuobushi) Literally: fish to a cat.
Meaning: A situation where one can not let their guard down (because the cat can't resist stealing your fish).
三日坊主 (mikka bōzu) Literally: a monk for (just) three days.
Meaning: Giving up at the first sign of difficulty.
水に流す (mizu ni nagasu) Literally: let flow in the water
Meaning: Forgive and forget; water under the bridge
竜頭蛇尾 (ryuutou dabi) Literally: dragon, head, snake, tail
Meaning: Anticlimax, the beginning is like a dragons head, great and majestic and the ending is like a snakes tail, tiny and pathetic.
十人十色 (jūnin toiro) Literally: ten men, ten colors
Meaning: To each his/her own. / Different strokes for different folks.
一石二鳥 (isseki nichō) Literally: one stone, two birds
Meaning: Killing two birds with one stone; Doing 2 things with one action.
雲散霧消 (unsan mushō) Literally: scattered clouds, disappearing mist
Meaning: Disappear without a trace.
知らぬが仏。
Shiranu ga hotoke.
Literally: Not knowing is Buddha.
Meaning: Ignorance is bliss. / What you don't know can't hurt you.
Shiranu ga hotoke.
Literally: Not knowing is Buddha.
Meaning: Ignorance is bliss. / What you don't know can't hurt you.
出る杭は打たれる。
Deru kui wa utareru.
Literally: The stake that sticks up gets hammered down.
Meaning: If you stand out, you will be subject to criticism.
Deru kui wa utareru.
Literally: The stake that sticks up gets hammered down.
Meaning: If you stand out, you will be subject to criticism.
七転び八起き
Nanakorobi yaoki
Literally: fall seven times and stand up eight
Meaning: When life knocks you down, stand back up / Keep trying.
Nanakorobi yaoki
Literally: fall seven times and stand up eight
Meaning: When life knocks you down, stand back up / Keep trying.
猿も木から落ちる
Saru mo ki kara ochiru
Literally: Even monkeys fall from trees
Meaning: Anyone can make a mistake.
Saru mo ki kara ochiru
Literally: Even monkeys fall from trees
Meaning: Anyone can make a mistake.
悪因悪果
akuin akka
Literally: evil cause, evil effect / bad causes bring bad results
Meaning: Sow evil and reap evil. / You reap what you sow.
Note: this is a Buddhist sentiment that emphasizes the idea of karmic retribution.
akuin akka
Literally: evil cause, evil effect / bad causes bring bad results
Meaning: Sow evil and reap evil. / You reap what you sow.
Note: this is a Buddhist sentiment that emphasizes the idea of karmic retribution.
弱肉強食
jaku niku kyō shoku
Literally: The weak are meat; the strong eat.
Meaning: Survival of the fittest.
jaku niku kyō shoku
Literally: The weak are meat; the strong eat.
Meaning: Survival of the fittest.
(wiki)
| A bad workman always blames his tools |
下手の道具しらべ
| A cat has nine lives 猫には九生 |
| A friend in need is a friend indeed まさかの時の友こそ真の友 |
| A good Samaritan |
地獄で仏に逢ったよう
| A piece of cake |
朝飯前
| A rolling stone gathers no moss 転がる石には苔は生えぬ |
| A thief knows a thief, as a wolf knows a wolf |
蛇の道は蛇
| A white lie |
嘘も方便
| A wolf in sheep's clothing 猫を被る |
| Absence makes the heart grow fonder |
なくてぞ人は恋しかりける
| An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth 棒を以って棒に報いる |
http://hilhorst.eu/kotowaza.org/en/lijst_EN.php
Literally: Fallen blossom doesn't return to the branch, a broken mirror can not be made to shine
Meaning: What's done is done; "There's no use crying over spilled milk"
Literally: A coin to a cat
Meaning: "Pearls before swine"; ie: don't offer things to people who are incapable of appreciating them.
Literally: Fallen blossom doesn't return to the branch, a broken mirror can not be made to shine
Meaning: What's done is done; "There's no use crying over spilled milk"
Literally: A coin to a cat
Meaning: "Pearls before swine"; ie: don't offer things to people who are incapable of appreciating them.
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