Need translation of calligraphy on a scroll

[noba]

This scroll is a recent gift. I would like a translation for the main and side elements if possible.

 

[Toritoribe]

？雲展翼
鵬程千里

The first kanji is illegible.

 

[noba]

Great! Can you translate into English and write in hiragana?

 

[Mike Cash]

？雲展翼
鵬程千里

The first kanji is illegible.

I think it might be 去, I think it would fit the context. The second set is a 四字熟語 I could find rather easily, but google gives nothing on the first set.

OP, this is Chinese, not Japanese.

 

[noba]

I think it might be 去, I think it would fit the context. The second set is a 四字熟語 I could find rather easily, but google gives nothing on the first set.

OP, this is Chinese, not Japanese.

Thank you
Do you have any idea what the calligraphy says in English?

 

[Toritoribe]

Hmm, the position of the dot and the direction of the last stroke might be a bit different from 去.

the reading
？うんてんよく
ほうていせんり

The second line means great distance.

 

[Mike Cash]

I think the first kanji is most likely a verb. Something to do with the clouds clearing away.

 

[noba]

Thank you! I understand the writing on the left is the artist's signature. Any idea what the writing in the upper right is referring to?

 

[madphysicist]

I can help a little with the meaning. The second line is an idiom
Word dictionary - pengchengwanli - MDBG English to Chinese dictionary
(yes one of the characters is different but 萬里/千里 have about the same meaning)

The first line could be about the bird swooping among the clouds rather than the clouds expanding, but with unclear first character I don't know. Ask a Chinese person!

 

[noba]

Thank you!
Re: idiom
"the fabled roc flies ten thousand miles" (idiom) / (one's future prospects are brilliant)
What is a "roc"?

 

[madphysicist]

Thank you!
Re: idiom
"the fabled roc flies ten thousand miles" (idiom) / (one's future prospects are brilliant)
What is a "roc"?

A roc is a mythical giant bird. Though in this case it is the Chinese "peng" which apparently is somewhat different:
Peng (mythology) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Now the excerpt on the wikipedia page may give a clue to the first line on the scroll:
"The back of the P'eng measures I don't know how many thousand li across and, when he rises up and flies off, his wings are like clouds all over the sky."
The three characters that we are sure of are 雲 cloud 展 spread 翼 wing

But I must disclaim I only know basic Chinese and I suggest if you need an accurate translation you would be better off asking on a Chinese forum (I don't believe we have any fluent speakers here).

 

[Toritoribe]

鵬程千里/万里 is used also in Japan.
鵬程万里の意味 - 四字熟語一覧 - goo辞書
鵬程万里の英語・英訳 - 英和辞典・和英辞典 Weblio辞書

Even if it's originally (classical) Chinese, it can be read as Japanese.
Calligraphy by famous abbots of temples in Japan 1-7 | Japan Forum
Calligraphy by famous abbots of temples in Japan remaining prints 8-14 | Japan Forum

 

[madphysicist]

Ah sorry @Toritoribe
I missed that you'd already given a translation in your post above.

Do people actually use this expression 鵬程千里 in normal conversation?
(In modern Chinese it is a common enough expression that I knew it already despite my low level, and it can be something you say to wish someone else success, like "I hope you will go far in your life/career".)

 

[noba]

Thank you for all the information!

 

[Toritoribe]

Do people actually use this expression 鵬程千里 in normal conversation?
(In modern Chinese it is a common enough expression that I knew it already despite my low level, and it can be something you say to wish someone else success, like "I hope you will go far in your life/career".)

To tell the truth, I didn't know this four characters idiom, and got the meaning by googling it.

 

[Mike Cash]

To tell the truth, I didn't know this four characters idiom, and got the meaning by googling it.

I've spent the last four months learning 600 of the blasted useless things and I also had to google it.

 

[madphysicist]

Ah okay thanks guys

By the way my Taiwanese friend/unofficial Chinese tutor was here today so I showed him the picture. He also couldn't identify the first character and didn't have any ideas what the first line meant. Ah well.