Calligraphy translation request

K

kiritin

後輩

30 Aug 2013

3

0

• 30 Aug 2013

• #1

Hello,
We've had this calligraphy hung on the wall of the house for some time and no one seems to remember what the meaning is. We tried asking around a bit and to match the signs with Japanese characters but we didn't get anywhere.



Thank you for your time.
Kiritin

 

M

Morphling

先輩

3 Apr 2013

273

32

• 6 Sep 2013

• #2

川端康成 「秋の野に鈴鳴らし行く人見えず」

I'm sure it is very poetic with deeper meaning but literally it says something like "cannot see a soul that will ring the bell in the autumn fields".

The calligraphy is some mean 狂草.

Looking at the actual calligraphy, it appears to be written as:
秋乃野に鈴鳴羅し行く人見えず。

 

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Moderator

Fifteen-year veteran

22 Feb 2008

18,266

4,926

• 6 Sep 2013

• #3

Ah, I see. It's written in 変体仮名.

秋乃野爾鈴鳴羅し以具人見衣ず
Aki no no ni suzu narashi yuku hito miezu

 

K

kiritin

後輩

30 Aug 2013

3

0

• 12 Sep 2013

• Thread starter
• #4

Thank you! It still sounds a bit cryptic to me now I have some ideas on the meaning!

 

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Moderator

Fifteen-year veteran

22 Feb 2008

18,266

4,926

• 12 Sep 2013

• #5

The author Kawabata Yasunari won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968. The poem was composed right after he dealt with press at that time. "Those who go in the autumn fields with bells ringing" ostensibly refers to pilgrims, but it's said that that's a metaphor of reporters. It's also said that 野に鈴（ベル） "no ni bell" is a word play for "Nobel".

 

K

kiritin

後輩

30 Aug 2013

3

0

• 12 Sep 2013

• Thread starter
• #6

Amazing! Thanks a lot for the research