Question about a proverb's meaning.

[wonton2112]

Hello, and thanks for visiting my post!
Now here's the question... I've seen this on several sites, word for word as it is here. I'm having a large neo-traditional Japanese tattoo custom done, and I want a proverb running down one side of it, and this is one of my top 3, depending on its connotation. What I need to know is what situation this fits into... One site I saw said it could be used for being really ill, and making it back. But is it just that, or could it be financial difficulties, or perhaps a battle, or even coming from behind in a sport. It just seems such a broad meaning... Literally it seems it only really describes an illness, but I want to be sure...

Proverb:

起死回生 kishi kaisei
Literally: Wake from death and return to life
Meaning: To come out of a desperate situation and make a complete return in one sudden burst.

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Wonton2112

 

[JimmySeal]

Do you have strong memories of rebounding from a desperate financial, battle or sports situation?

 

[wonton2112]

From the financial yes. And I've over-come a lot in life, or from my own point of view I have, so I'm using a koi to represent that aspect, since they're such a determined animal.. I have been thinking of having a koi against a japanese dragon, sort of an over-coming all odds theme. But I have a feeling the proverb wouldn't exactly fit, I may go to something else, or perhaps even leave out the proverb...

 

[nhk9]

This is a Chinese proverb. Don't know if the Japanese version has any deviation in the meaning, but the Chinese one usually is used in situations such as illnesses, sports, and often about natural disasters such as forest fires.

 

[wonton2112]

Actually, guess I'm not surprised about it being chinese... It seems a lot of proverbs that people claim are Japanese are Chinese. That's why it's best to double-check these things! ^^

 

[ricecake]

Proverb: 起死回生 kishi kaisei

Meaning: To come out of a desperate situation

This is originally Chinese proverb,the answer is " making a comeback ".

Japanese language kept many ancient Chinese proverbs,one more example is " misery loves company " in Japanese romanji " doubyou ai awaremu ".

 

[nice gaijin]

I think this called a 四文字熟語 (yon moji jukugo), a four-character idiom, and it is probably Chinese, as others have said. I suppose if you wanted this tattooed on your body, are you trying to say that you're spending the rest of your life on the rebound?

I guess if I wanted a phrase inked onto my body, it'd be either something with intense personal meaning, or at least something that myself and others can understand. A bunch of unintelligible ideograms don't seem to be the best choice. But if a Chinese or Japanese phrase is what you're looking for, just pick one from the list and hope someone who can actually read it doesn't take it the wrong way, I guess. I have to give you some credit; research seems to be beyond the grasp of many people who want something in a foreign language permanently written on their bodies.

 

[wonton2112]

Hmm... I didn't think of it coming off as spending the rest of my life on the rebound =/... Hmmmm... Well, plenty of time to find something fitting I suppose! And heck, it doesn't need to be a proverb, right? The reason for putting it in japanese is to fit in with the art. I suppose I could put anything there really... Thanks to everyone for helping me out! Just for the record though, is that at least in japanese, even if it Is a chinese proverb?

 

[JimmySeal]

The expression is used in Japanese, and the pronunciation "kishi kaisei" is the Japanese pronunciation.

You should know that if you ever do come to Japan, tattoos are generally associated with gang (mafia) membership, and most bathhouses refuse entry to people with tattoos.

 

[wonton2112]

Hmmm, well I don't want to be confused with mafia... That's not good... but wouldn't being a foreigner not really put me into that category anyhow? And I was under the impression that most bathhouses refused entry to foreigners anyhow.

 

[leonmarino]

起死回生..
Some examples in my electric dictionary go like:

彼のホームランはホークスにとって起死回生の一発だった
His home run saved the Hawks from defeat

起死回生の策を講じる
Devise measures to recover

I dunno if I'd ever want to put that on my body forever. I never understood why people would put something on their body as a tattoo that they can't even read. A friend of mine has a tattoo of some Japanese characters tattooed upside-down.. Maybe I should never have told her.

And about the public baths (onsen and the like), some do not allow foreigners but most of them do (I never had any trouble anyway). I've never come across one that allowed tattood people though.

 

[Rese]

Devise measures to recover

That sounds very similar to a rather famous american proverb/motto: "Adapt, overcome".