Help needed with Kanji

[Enyu]

Can anyone tell me the pronounciation and meaning of the following kanji?

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/1400/japanesevz9.jpg

thanks

[Reg Kear]

Can anyone tell me the pronounciation and meaning of the following kanji?

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/1400/japanesevz9.jpg

thanks

From the top it appears to be: - Rei - Ko - Yu - Jin - Ho - Shi - Do.

Rough translation from the top: - Word - Old - Exists - Deity - Belief - Will - Earth.

So: A belief in the existence of the Deity's words and will on earth.

[David Craik]

I believe the top kanji may be KON, "now" or "the present", as used in "today", "this week", and "this year".

What is this picture, the nakago of a sword or something?

[Reg Kear]

Yep David, it is Kon.

So: Kon - Ko - Yu - Jin - Ho - Shi - Do.

[RickMatz]

Yep David, it is Kon.

So: Kon - Ko - Yu - Jin - Ho - Shi - Do.

Isn't that from "The Sound of Music?"

[Reg Kear]

Damn - now I can't get that song and Julie Andrews gal out of my head..!

[David Craik]

"Kon, when someone rips you off..

Ko, it's short for com-pan-y..

Yu, some-thing I call other folk..

Jin, it's a happy drink for me..

Ho, a lady of the night..

Shi, referring to said 'ho'...

Do, what a conman takes from thee..

and that brings us back to Kon.."

:D

[Reg Kear]

"Kon, when someone rips you off..

Ko, it's short for com-pan-y..

Yu, some-thing I call other folk..

Jin, it's a happy drink for me..

Ho, a lady of the night..

Shi, referring to said 'ho'...

Do, what a conman takes from thee..

and that brings us back to Kon.."

:D

That's it... I'm done for the day.. I just have to figure how to get up from the floor as soon as I stop shaking...!!

[kroh]

"Kon, when someone rips you off..

Ko, it's short for com-pan-y..

Yu, some-thing I call other folk..

Jin, it's a happy drink for me..

Ho, a lady of the night..

Shi, referring to said 'ho'...

Do, what a conman takes from thee..

and that brings us back to Kon.."

:D

Yep... Coolest thing ever!
Regards,
Walt

[Tripitaka of AA]

As ever, David Craiks me up :laugh:

Poetic thread progression, you never know where you'll end up.

[ben]

Love your work Mr Craik.

Way off with the translation though guys. It (apparently) says:

"I belong to the warrior, in who the old ways have joined the new."

It's from a nasty wallhanger available here (http://www.swblades.com/lasakaen.html).

The last character is not "earth" but "gentleman" (shi). The upper horizontal is meant to be, but is not obviously, wider than the lower.

Not sure how the characters for 'kami" and "worship" fit into the translation above though...?

b

[scruffysmileyface]

"I belong to the warrior..."

Sounds good in the movie, but that's not that this inscription says. Never, NEVER blindly trust the translation of someone who's trying to sell you something.

[David Craik]

I must admit the meaning of that mei confused me quite a bit..it seems disjointed. But my grasp of written Japanese is lacking.

[jtweymo]

Sir,
if I am not mistaken (I am only an amateur linguist) it says:

今古有神奉志士
kinko yuushin matsuri shishi

“Now and in ancient times a patriot is one observant of the divine. ”

It's written Chinese style, no kana so there is likely particles of speech missing but the romaji should be fairly close.


今古 【きんこ】 (n) now and anciently
有神 【ゆうしん】 (vn) theistic (-al); belief in existence of the divine.
奉 【まつり】 (n) observance
志士 【しし】 (n) patriot; public-spirited person

[Josh Reyer]

It's what was inscribed on Tom Cruise's sword in "The Last Samurai". It's supposed to say "I belong to the warrior in whom the old ways have joined the new", but that particular translation doesn't quite compute with these characters.

Bopping around Google, a few people have tried to come up with possible translations. One Japanese fellow guessed it to be "Given to the resolute warrior with the spirit of long ago and today." In this case, it would break down:

今古 - kinko - today and the past
有神 - yuushin - have spirit (in this case, the 神 is the same as in 精神 seishin, meaning "spirit, mind", rather than "gods, divinity"
奉る - tatematsuru - give (to someone higher)
志士 - shishi - resolute gentleman/warrior

[jtweymo]

Hi ya Josh,

How's tricks?

Tom Cruise's sword, heh? Yeah I noticed it seemed to be etched on a sword and that the kanji didn't somehow look quite right. On one hand, it being "hollywood" maybe that's why the translation poses difficulty. Guess the staff on the movie's making might or might not have been all that up&up? Never know.


"Given to the resolute warrior with the spirit of long ago and today." In this case, it would break down:

今古 - kinko - today and the past
有神 - yuushin - have spirit (in this case, the 神 is the same as in 精神 seishin, meaning "spirit, mind", rather than "gods, divinity"
奉る - tatematsuru - give (to someone higher)
志士 - shishi - resolute gentleman/warrior

Yeah, you could, the message is fairly close in meaning either way.



Rearranging the elements and fudging for the English possibilities....


"Given to the resolute warrior with the spirit of long ago and today."

“Now and in ancient times a patriot is one observant of the divine. ” Rehashing could lead to:

"Given to one who shows the spirit of the resolute warriors [both] of long ago and today" Pluralization of the [subject of the verb] is possible.

“Now and in ancient times a warrior is one observant of the divine. ”

"Presented to a warrior who shows the spirit of long ago and today"


Not that it matters, they all as translations bear similar meaning. I just like doing translations (just for kicks, mind ya.)

[Gunyo Kogusoku]

"Kon, when someone rips you off..

Ko, it's short for com-pan-y..

Yu, some-thing I call other folk..

Jin, it's a happy drink for me..

Ho, a lady of the night..

Shi, referring to said 'ho'...

Do, what a conman takes from thee..

and that brings us back to Kon.."

:D

Dude,

Awesome! :laugh:

[David Craik]

Hehe, I'd forgotton about that little ditty. :D