Many custom options...

Tan Paper and Copper Silk Love Wall Scroll
Red Paper and Ivory Silk Love Wall Scroll
Orange Paper Love Scroll
Crazy Blue and Gold Silk Love Scroll


And formats...

Love Vertical Portrait
Love Horizontal Wall Scroll
Love Vertical Portrait

Life is Like A in Chinese / Japanese...

Buy a Life is Like A calligraphy wall scroll here!

Personalize your custom “Life is Like A” project by clicking the button next to your favorite “Life is Like A” title below...


  1. Beautiful Life / Life in Perfect Harmony

  2. Life is Good / Life is Beautiful

  3. Life Energy / Spiritual Energy

  4. Life is a Dew Drop

  5. Life in Every Breath

  6. Life is Good

  7. Journey of Life

  8. Rise and Fall / Ups and Downs

  9. Birth / Life

10. Best Love / Most Sincere Love

11. Life in Every Breath

12. Longevity / Long Life Wishes

13. Best Love / Most Sincere Love

14. New Beginning

15. Mujo no Kaze / Wind of Impermanence

16. Tranquility Yields Transcendence

17. Clarity

18. Great Aspirations / Ambition

19. Alone / Solitary Existence

20. Moderation / Temperance

21. Shit Happens

22. Wave

23. Heaven Blesses the Diligent

24. Fatherly Master / Sifu / Shi Fu / Shifu

25. Swim / Swimming

26. Time and Tide Wait for No Man

27. Big Dream

28. Resilience / Restoration / Recovery

29. Chaos / Anarchy / Confusion / Mayhem

30. One Who Does Not Do Bad Things, Worries Not of Knocks at His Door

31. Accept the Situation and Move On

32. Ivy

33. Adventure

34. Once in a Lifetime

35. Danger

36. Birth Old-Age Sickness Death

37. Musashi

38. Mountain Travels Poem by Dumu

39. Banzai

40. Learn from Wisdom


Beautiful Life / Life in Perfect Harmony

 hé měi
 wa mi
Beautiful Life / Life in Perfect Harmony Scroll

和美 is a word that means “harmonious” or, “in perfect harmony.”

The deeper meaning or more natural translation would be something like, “beautiful life.”

The first character means peace and harmony.

The second character means beautiful. But in this case, when combined with the first character, beautiful refers to being satisfied with what you have in your life. This can be having good relations, good feelings, comfort, and having enough (with no feeling of wanting).


Note: In Japanese, this is often used as the name "Wami." This title is probably more appropriate if your audience is Chinese.

Life is Good / Life is Beautiful

 jinsei wa subarashii
Life is Good / Life is Beautiful Scroll

人生は素晴らしい means “life is good,” “life is great,” or “life is beautiful” in Japanese.

The first two characters mean “life” (as in your or a human lifespan).

The third character kind of means “is.”

The last five characters are a long adjective that means wonderful, splendid, and/or magnificent. In the context of life, it reads more like good or beautiful.


Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

Life Energy / Spiritual Energy

Chi Energy: Essence of Life / Energy Flow

 qì
 ki
 
Life Energy / Spiritual Energy Scroll

This 氣 energy flow is a fundamental concept of traditional Asian culture.

氣 is romanized as “Qi” or “Chi” in Chinese, “Gi” in Korean, and “Ki” in Japanese.
Chi is believed to be part of everything that exists, as in “life force” or “spiritual energy.” It is most often translated as “energy flow” or literally as “air” or “breath.” Some people will simply translate this as “spirit,” but you must consider the kind of spirit we're talking about. I think this is weighted more toward energy than spirit.

The character itself is a representation of steam (or breath) rising from rice. To clarify, the character for rice looks like this: 米
Steam was apparently seen as visual evidence of the release of “life energy” when this concept was first developed. The Qi / Chi / Ki character is still used in compound words to mean steam or vapor.
The etymology of this character is a bit complicated. It's suggested that the first form of this character from bronze script (about 2500 years ago) looked like these samples: 氣氣
However, it was easy to confuse this with the character for the number three. So the rice radical was added by 221 B.C. (the exact time of this change is debated). This first version with the rice radical looks like this: 氣
The idea of Qi / Chi / Ki is really a philosophical concept. It's often used to refer to the “flow” of metaphysical energy that sustains living beings. Yet there is much debate that has continued for thousands of years as to whether Qi / Chi / Ki is pure energy or consists partially or fully of matter.

You can also see the character for Qi / Chi / Ki in common compound words such as Tai Chi / Tai Qi, Aikido, Reiki, and Qi Gong / Chi Kung.

In the modern Japanese Kanji, the rice radical has been changed into two strokes that form an X.

気 The original and traditional Chinese form is still understood in Japanese, but we can also offer that modern Kanji form in our custom calligraphy. If you want this Japanese Kanji, please click on the character to the right instead of the “Select and Customize” button above.


More language notes: This is pronounced like “chee” in Mandarin Chinese, and like “key” in Japanese.
This is also the same way to write this in Korean Hanja where it is Romanized as “gi” and pronounced like “gee” but with a real G-sound, not a J-sound.
Though Vietnamese no longer use Chinese characters in their daily language, this character is still widely known in Vietnam.


See Also:  Energy | Life Force | Vitality | Life | Birth | Soul

Life is a Dew Drop

 rén shēng zhāo lù
 jin sei chou ro
Life is a Dew Drop Scroll

人生朝露 is a proverb that means “human life is like morning dew.”

Figuratively, this suggests the ephemeral and precarious nature of human existence.

Also translated as:
Man's life vanishes like a drop of dew.
A person's life is as fleeting as morning dew.
Life is as transient as morning due.

Life in Every Breath

 shēng huó zhōng de měi yī cì hū xī
Life in Every Breath Scroll

生活中的每一次呼吸 means “life in every breath” in Chinese.

This phrase is more like “every breath in life” as if it's a quantity of breaths that makes up your life.


There are many ways to understand this phrase in English, so this is one of a few ways it could be translated into Chinese. If you’re looking for a different meaning, please contact me.

Life is Good

 rén shēng liáng hǎo
 jin sei ryou kou
Life is Good Scroll

人生良好 means “life is good” in Japanese.

The first two characters mean “life” (as in your or a human lifespan).

The last two characters mean “good.”

This also makes sense in Chinese but it reads more like, “life is all right.”

Journey of Life

 jinseikouro
Journey of Life Scroll

If you believe that life is a journey, this is a nice Japanese title for your wall.

人生行路 means “journey of life” in Japanese Kanji. The actual word order is more like “life (人生) journey (行路)” as Japanese grammar is a bit different than English.

Note: The “journey” part can also be translated as “road,” so this is also how to say “the road of life.”

Rise and Fall / Ups and Downs

Eiko-Seisui

 ei ko sei sui
Rise and Fall / Ups and Downs Scroll

This Japanese proverb can be translated as “flourish and wither, prosper and perish,” “life is full of fortune and misfortune,” or simply “vicissitudes of life.”

栄枯盛衰 / 榮枯盛衰 is about the rise and fall of human affairs or the ups and downs of life. Prosperity comes and goes, everything is fleeting and temporary, but like waves, another swell of prosperity may come.

Here's how the Kanji break down in this proverb:

栄 = prosper; thrive; flourish; boom.
枯 = wither; die.
盛 = prosperous; flourishing; thriving; successful; energetic; vigorous; enthusiastic.
衰 = become weaker; decline; get weak; die down; subside; abate; fail.


榮 Notes: The original version of the first character looks like the image to the right. In modern Japan, they simplified that Kanji a bit into the version shown above. If you have a preference for which style is used for your calligraphy, please let me know when you place your order.

Apparently, with that original version of the first character, this is also used in Korean Hanja. However, I have not confirmed that it’s used in the same way or is widely-known in Korean.

Birth / Life

 shēng
 shou / iku
 
Birth / Life Scroll

生 is a Chinese word that means “to be born” and “to give birth.”

Also, it's often used to refer to life itself, and sometimes “to grow.”

生 is used in a lot of compound words such as “yi sheng,” which means “doctor” (literally “healer of life”), “sheng ri” which means “birthday” (literally “birth-day”), and “xue sheng” which means student (literally “studying life” or “learner [about] life”). Few Chinese people will think of the literal meaning when this uses words like doctor and student - but it is interesting to note.

生 has the same root meaning in Korean Hanja and Japanese. However, in Japanese, there are many possible pronunciations, and this can be used to mean “raw” or “unprocessed” (as in draft beer). Therefore, not be the best if your audience is Japanese.


See Also:  Vitality

Best Love / Most Sincere Love

 moai
Best Love / Most Sincere Love Scroll

最愛 is a Japanese word that means the best love, beloved, or most sincere love of your life.

This could be a romantic love such as your love for your spouse or a boyfriend/girlfriend.

It can also apply to the extreme love you have for your children or a parent and maybe a really good friend.

Life in Every Breath

 hakuiki hitotsu nimo seimei ga yadori
Life in Every Breath Scroll

吐く息一つにも生命が宿り means “life in every breath” in Japanese.

This phrase is more like “every single breath as you live and dwell.”

The characters breakdown this way:
吐く息 (hakuiki) to breathe; exhaled air; one's breath; breathing.
一つ (hitotsu) one; only; just.
にも (nimo) also; too; as well; even.
生命 (seimei) life; existence; living.
が (ga) particle.
宿り (yadori) to lodge; to dwell; lodging; abode; shelter.


Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

Longevity / Long Life Wishes

A wish for a long and prosperous life

 fú rú dōng hǎi shòu bǐ nán shān
Longevity / Long Life Wishes Scroll

福如東海壽比南山 is a phrase that means “May you have good fortune as great as the eastern oceans, and may your life last as long as the southern mountains.”

In ancient Chinese mythology, the eastern oceans and southern mountains are where God resides (basically it is the same as saying “heaven”). So it's like saying, “May your good fortune and life be as vast as the heavens.”

There is also a longer, 14-character version of this phrase. Also, this can be cut into two scrolls (with half the phrase on each side - great for hanging on either side of a doorway). Just let me know if you'd like a special version (there is an additional cost).

Best Love / Most Sincere Love

 zhì ài
Best Love / Most Sincere Love Scroll

至愛 can mean the best love or most sincere love of your life.

This could be a romantic love such as your love for your spouse or a boyfriend/girlfriend.

It can also apply to the extreme love you have for your children or a parent and maybe a really good friend.


See Also:  I Love You

New Beginning

 arata na hajimari
New Beginning Scroll

新たな始まり is a Japanese word that means “new beginning” or “new start.”

Here's the character breakdown:
新た (arata) = new; fresh; novel; newly; freshly; or this can be like the prefix “re-” like “re-start” or “reset.”
な (na) is kind of a connecting article. This glues “new” to “beginning.”
始まり (hajimari) = origin; beginning.


Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

Mujo no Kaze / Wind of Impermanence

 mu jou no kaze
Mujo no Kaze / Wind of Impermanence Scroll

無常の風 is an old Japanese proverb that means the wind of impermanence or the wind of change in Japanese.

This can refer to the force that ends life, like the wind scattering a flower's petals. Life is yet another impermanent existence that is fragile, blown out like a candle.

The first two characters mean uncertainty, transiency, impermanence, mutability, variable, and/or changeable.

In some Buddhist contexts, 無常 can be analogous to a spirit departing at death (with a suggestion of the impermanence of life).

The last two characters mean “of wind” or a possessive like “wind of...” but Japanese grammar will have the wind come last in the phrase.

Tranquility Yields Transcendence

 níng jìng zhì yuǎn
Tranquility Yields Transcendence Scroll

寧靜致遠 is an ancient Chinese idiom that means “tranquility yields transcendence.”

This suggests pursuing a quiet life of profound study.

The first two characters mean tranquility. The last two characters mean “go far,” which suggests achieving much in your life or expanding beyond normal limits. The direct translation would read something like, “[With] tranquility [in your life, you'll] go far.”

Compare this to the English idiom: Still waters run deep.

 qīng
 sei
 
Clarity Scroll

清 is a word that means clarity or clear in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

Looking at the parts of this character, you have three splashes of water on the left, “life” on the top right, and the moon on the lower right.

Because of something Confucius said about 2500 years ago, you can imagine that this character means “live life with clarity like bright moonlight piercing pure water.” The Confucian idea is something like “Keep clear what is pure in yourself, and let your pure nature show through.” Kind of like saying, “Don't pollute your mind or body, so that they remain clear.”

This might be stretching the definition of this single Chinese character but the elements are there, and “clarity” is a powerful idea.


Korean note: Korean pronunciation is given above but this character is written with a slight difference in the "moon radical" in Korean. However, anyone who can read Korean Hanja, will understand this character with no problem (this is considered an alternate form in Korean). If you want the more standard Korean Hanja form (which is an alternate form in Chinese), just let me know.

Japanese note: When reading in Japanese, this Kanji has additional meanings of pure, purify, or cleanse (sometimes to remove demons or "exorcise"). Used more in compound words in Japanese than as a stand-alone Kanji.

Great Aspirations / Ambition

 tai shi wo idaku
Great Aspirations / Ambition Scroll

大志を抱 is a single Japanese word that kind of reads like a short proverb.

It suggests that you should have “high aims,” “ambitions,” or “aspirations” in your life.

Alone / Solitary Existence

 dú jū
 dokkyo
Alone / Solitary Existence Scroll

獨居 is a Chinese word that can be translated as to live alone, to live a solitary existence, solitude, solitary life, dwelling alone.

You might use a word like this regarding a hermit.


独 In modern Japan, and Simplified Chinese, they use the version of the first character shown to the right. If you want this version please click on the character to the right instead of the button above.

Moderation / Temperance

 jié zhì
 sessei
Moderation / Temperance Scroll

節制 means moderation or temperance in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

Moderation is creating a healthy balance in your life between work and play, rest and exercise. You don't overdo or get swept away by the things you like. You use your self-discipline to take charge of your life and your time.

節制 can also be translated as sobriety or self-restraint.

This is often used as part of the Seven Heavenly Virtues to represent sobriety and/or temperance.


See Also:  Prudence | Ethics | Humble | Humility

Shit Happens

 shì shì nán liào
Shit Happens Scroll

世事難料 is a polite Chinese version of “shit happens.” This phrase suggests that things happen (for no reason, and for which we have no control).

The first two characters mean the affairs of life, things of the world, worldly affairs, or ways of the world.

The third character means disaster, distress, problem, difficulty, difficult, hardships, troubles, or defect.

The last character in this context means: to expect, to anticipate, or to guess.

If you put this back together, you have something like, “In life, troubles [should be] expected.”

 bō làng
 harou
Wave Scroll

If you like to ride a surfboard, and/or “The Way of the Wave” is your life, 波浪 could be the scroll for you.

The additional meanings contained in these characters include ripple, storm, surge, breaker, wandering, and unrestrained.

Heaven Blesses the Diligent

 tiān dào chóu qín
Heaven Blesses the Diligent Scroll

天道酬勤 can be interpreted in a few different ways:
God blesses those who work hard.
It is the way of Heaven to smile on the diligent.
God will reward those that are worthy.
Heaven blesses those who are diligent.

Whichever translation you like, a scroll like this on your wall may serve as a reminder to work hard because your diligence will pay off both in this life and the next.


Note: This can be pronounced in Korean, but it's not a commonly used term.

Fatherly Master / Sifu / Shi Fu / Shifu

Martial Arts Teacher

 shī fù
 si fu
 shi fu
Fatherly Master / Sifu / Shi Fu / Shifu Scroll

師父 means master in Chinese (occasionally used in Korean Hanja and Japanese). In the context of Martial Arts, this is the master and teacher who instructs students.

The second character by itself means father. Thus, you get the “Fatherly Master” translation. There's an old Chinese saying that goes something like, “One who is your teacher for one day is your father for life.”

Language notes: I've often seen this romanized as “sifu,” this is actually the Cantonese romanization. In Mandarin Chinese, it's “Shifu.” The pronunciation in Mandarin is actually like “sure foo” (using typical English pronunciation). There's an “R-sound” in there, which is not obvious from the romanization. Many martial arts studios incorrectly pronounce this like “she foo” (which is actually the Japanese pronunciation). In Cantonese, it sounds like “Sea foo” (almost like “seafood,” minus the “d” at the end).

師父 is kind of a weird selection for a calligraphy wall scroll; this entry is more for educational purposes. But you are welcome to buy it if it suits your circumstances.

Swim / Swimming

 yóu yǒng
 yuuei / yue
Swim / Swimming Scroll

游泳 is the Chinese and Japanese Kanji for swimming, or swim. This can be the act of or the sport of swimming.

In a certain context, this could mean bathing. Further, like the old phrase, “it's going swimmingly.” this word can refer to the “conduct of life.”

Time and Tide Wait for No Man

 kouinya no goto shi
Time and Tide Wait for No Man Scroll

光陰矢の如し is a Japanese proverb that means “time flies like an arrow.” It's very similar to the English idiom, “time and tide wait for no man,” or “life is short.”

The Kanji breakdown:
光陰 = Time (the cycle of light and dark).
[and an]
矢 = Arrow
の = are
如し = Alike


Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

 dà mèng
 daimu
Big Dream Scroll

大夢 means “Big Dream” in Chinese and Japanese.

大夢 is primarily a Buddhist term referring to the great dream that represents a long and winding life that feels like a dream (since reality is an illusion anyway in Buddhism).

This can also be a female given name, Hiromu, or Oomu, in Japanese. Also, more rare unisex given names Daimu or Taimu.

Resilience / Restoration / Recovery

 huī fù lì
Resilience / Restoration / Recovery Scroll

恢復力 suggests having the power to recover, restore, and rehabilitate. This can refer to yourself, someone else, or even to something, like rehabilitating a burned forest. 恢復力 is the essence of resilience in life.

The first two characters are a word that means to reinstate, resume, restore, recover, regain, or rehabilitate, restoration, rehabilitation, recovery, return, improvement, recovery (from an illness), recuperation, or convalescence.

The last character means strength or power.


See Also:  Tenacity | Perseverance

Chaos / Anarchy / Confusion / Mayhem

 hùn luàn
 kon ran
Chaos / Anarchy / Confusion / Mayhem Scroll

The first character means confused, dirty, muddy, or mixed.

The second character means confusion and disorder.

Together, these characters mean chaos and sometimes extended to mean a type of anarchy.

This term is often used in a less-than-literal term to describe anything in disarray. Someone might use this word in a sentence like, “My kitchen is in a state of chaos” or “my life is so chaotic.”


Japanese Chaos Please note that Japanese use an alternate/simplified version of the second character of chaos - it also happens to be the same simplification used in mainland China. Click on the character to the right if you want the Japanese/Simplified version of this two-character chaos calligraphy.

One Who Does Not Do Bad Things, Worries Not of Knocks at His Door

 bái tiān bú zuò kuī xīn shì yè bàn qiāo mén bù chī jīng
One Who Does Not Do Bad Things, Worries Not of Knocks at His Door Scroll

白天不做亏心事夜半敲门不吃惊 literally translates as: [If one does] not do bad things in the daytime, one need not be alarmed at knocks on the door in the middle of the night.

The meaning is something like, “A quiet conscience sleeps in thunder.” Basically, the message is, “don't commit crimes and you won't be jumpy every time the doorbell rings (so don't do anything wrong and your life will have fewer worries and you can sleep at night).”

Accept the Situation and Move On

 xiǎng kāi
Accept the Situation and Move On Scroll

想開 is a Chinese title that translates as “move on.”

It can mean getting over a shock or bereavement. More often, it means avoiding dwelling on unpleasant things or accepting the situation and moving on. It's a suggestion to get over it and get on with life.

The literal meaning of the characters is something like “thoughts opening.” But it's understood more as getting over the same old thoughts and opening yourself up to new thoughts or ways of thinking.

 cháng chūn téng
Ivy Scroll

This is a common way to write “ivy” in Chinese.
There are varieties of ivy plant, and other ways to say ivy in Chinese but this version is probably the nicest. It's the one you would use if writing a poem about ivy etc.

If you want the actual meaning, this is, “Always Young Vine,” or “Ever Living Vine.” The literal meaning of the characters is more like, “Always Spring[time] Vine.” But Spring can have other representations in Chinese such as new life, youth, freshness, joyfulness, etc.

 tàn xiǎn
 tanken
Adventure Scroll

If you lead a life of adventure (like I do), a 探險 wall scroll is for you.

Alone, the first character can mean “to explore,” “to search out,” or “to scout.” The second character holds the meanings of “dangerous” and “rugged.” Together these two characters create the word that means “adventure” or “to explore.”

探険 is a modern Japanese Kanji version, but it more precisely means exploration or expedition rather than adventure. 探險 is the old/ancient Japanese version used before WWII. Let us know if you want the modern Japanese version instead.


See Also:  Bon Voyage | Travel

Once in a Lifetime

 yī qī yī huì
 ichigo ichie
Once in a Lifetime Scroll

This Japanese title can be translated as “for this time only,” “chance meeting,” “one meeting, one opportunity,” “never again,” or “one chance in a lifetime.”

The characters literally mean “one time one meeting” - of course, the Kanji characters have meaning far beyond a direct translation like this.

Some might use this proverb to talk of an opportunity that presents itself just once in your life. It could also be a one-and-only chance meeting with your true soul mate. An expression of any event that might happen once in a lifetime.


This is primarily a Japanese title, however, there is also a Traditional Chinese (and old Korean) version of this proverb. Just the last character is different.
會The traditional form was used in Japan before WWII and in Korea prior to 1900. This title is somewhat known in China.

If you want the older traditional form, just click on the character to the right.

Danger

A dangerous character in every way

 wēi
 ki
 
Danger Scroll

危 means danger, peril, or “to endanger” in Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean.

If you live a dangerous life or want to subtly warn others that you are a dangerous person, this may be the selection for you.

This also means “danger” and sometimes “fear” in Japanese and Korean but is seldom seen outside of compound words in those languages (as a single character, it's kind of like an abbreviation for danger in Japanese and Korean). 危 is also a rather odd selection for a wall scroll anyway. It's only here because people search for danger on our website.

Birth Old-Age Sickness Death

Born to Suffer

 shēng lǎo bìng sǐ
 shou rou byou shi
Birth Old-Age Sickness Death Scroll

生老病死 means “to be born, to grow old, to get sick and to die” or “birth, aging, sickness, and death.”

This is an old somewhat-morbid Chinese proverb that is also used in Korean and Japanese. It figuratively means the fate of humankind (i.e. mortality) or suggests that we are all born to suffer.

In the Buddhist context, there are the “four inevitables in human life” or “four afflictions that are the lot of every human” known as “四苦” (literally “four afflictions”). Sometimes this proverb is written with that affliction character, 苦, at the end like 生老病死苦.

Musashi

The most famous Samurai

 mu sashi
Musashi Scroll

Miyamoto Musashi is probably the most famous Samurai in all of Japanese history.

武蔵 is the short title for a man long in legend. While coming from a lower class, his new sword and fighting techniques put him on par with the best that feudal Japan had to offer. His long career started with his first duel at age 13!

He is credited with using two swords at once and never losing a single battle in his career. After becoming a Buddhist, and getting older, like many old warriors, he took up a peaceful and solitary life until his death around 1645 A.D.

Note: Technically, Musashi is his given name, and Miyamoto is his surname. However, it's suggested that he assumed both of these names and had a few other names in childhood, as well as being given a Buddhist name. It's hard to know what to call him, as with most Kanji, there are multiple pronunciations. The characters for Musashi can also be pronounced Takezō. But everyone in modern times seems to know him by the name Musashi.

Mountain Travels Poem by Dumu

 yuǎn shàng hán shān shí jìng xiá bái yún shēng chù yǒu rén jiā tíng chē zuò ài fēng lín wǎn shuàng yè hóng yú èr yuè huā
Mountain Travels Poem by Dumu Scroll

This poem was written almost 1200 years ago during the Tang dynasty.

It depicts traveling up a place known as Cold Mountain, where some hearty people have built their homes. The traveler is overwhelmed by the beauty of the turning leaves of the maple forest that surrounds him just as night overtakes the day, and darkness prevails. His heart implores him to stop, and take in all of the beauty around him.

First, before you get to the full translation, I must tell you that Chinese poetry is a lot different than what we have in the west. Chinese words simply don't rhyme in the same way that English or other western languages do. Chinese poetry depends on rhythm and a certain beat of repeated numbers of characters.

I have done my best to translate this poem keeping a certain feel of the original poet. But some of the original beauty of the poem in its original Chinese will be lost in translation.


Far away on Cold Mountain, a stone path leads upwards.
Among white clouds, people's homes reside.
Stopping my carriage I must, as to admire the maple forest at nights fall.
In awe of autumn leaves showing more red than even flowers of early spring.


Hopefully, this poem will remind you to stop, and “take it all in” as you travel through life.
The poet's name is “Du Mu” in Chinese that is: 杜牧.
The title of the poem, “Mountain Travels” is: 山行
You can have the title, poet's name, and even “Tang Dynasty” written as an inscription on your custom wall scroll if you like.

More about the poet:

Dumu lived from 803-852 AD and was a leading Chinese poet during the later part of the Tang dynasty.
He was born in Chang'an, a city in central China and the former capital of the ancient Chinese empire in 221-206 BC. In present-day China, his birthplace is currently known as Xi'an, the home of the Terracotta Soldiers.

He was awarded his Jinshi degree (an exam administered by the emperor's court which leads to becoming an official of the court) at the age of 25 and went on to hold many official positions over the years. However, he never achieved a high rank, apparently because of some disputes between various factions, and his family's criticism of the government. His last post in the court was his appointment to the office of Secretariat Drafter.

During his life, he wrote scores of narrative poems, as well as a commentary on the Art of War and many letters of advice to high officials.

His poems were often very realistic and often depicted everyday life. He wrote poems about everything, from drinking beer in a tavern to weepy poems about lost love.

The thing that strikes you most is the fact even after 1200 years, not much has changed about the beauty of nature, toils, and troubles of love and beer drinking.

Banzai

Modern Japanese Version

 wàn suì
 banzai
Banzai Scroll

万歲 is the modern Japanese way to write banzai.

We've made two almost identical entries for this word, with just a variation on the first character. In the last century, 萬 was simplified to 万 in Japan and China. The new generation will expect it to be written as 万 but the old generation can still read the more traditional 萬 form. You must make your determination as to what version is best for you. If your audience is mostly Japanese, I suggest 万歲.

While it has become a popular, if not an odd, thing to scream as you jump out of an airplane (preferably with a parachute attached), banzai is actually a very old Asian way to say “hooray.” The Japanese word “banzai” comes from the Chinese word “wan sui” which means “The age of 10,000 years.” It is actually a wish that the Emperor or the Empire live that long.

Imagine long ago when the Emperor made a rare public appearance. This is what all of the people would yell to their leader in respect.

So if you like it as a hooray, or you want to wish someone that they live for 10,000 years, this is the calligraphy for you.

To other things with banzai in their names, I am still waiting for the promised sequel to Buckaroo Banzai.

Other translations: hurrah, long life, congratulations, cheers, live long.

Notes: Sometimes people confuse banzai with bonsai. A bonsai is a miniature tree. They have nothing to do with each other. Further, Bonzai is not a word at all - although it would make a great name for a calcium supplement for older people.

Learn from Wisdom

(When you see a wise person, try to be like them)

 jiàn xián sī qí
Learn from Wisdom Scroll

When you meet a wise person, you should learn from them and be inspired to become as wise as they are.

見賢思齊 is a pretty long proverb in English, but in Chinese, it's only four characters.
However, in Chinese, the deeper meaning often surpasses the dictionary definition of each character.

In this case, you should seek wise people to learn from throughout your life...
Always try to learn enough to become equal to them. It also suggests that learning and seeking wisdom is a non-ending cycle.


See Also:  Knowledge




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The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...

Title CharactersRomaji (Romanized Japanese)Various forms of Romanized Chinese
Beautiful Life
Life in Perfect Harmony
和美wa mi / wamihé měi / he2 mei3 / he mei / hemeiho mei / homei
Life is Good
Life is Beautiful
人生は素晴らしいjinsei wa subarashii
jinseiwasubarashii
jinsei wa subarashi
Life Energy
Spiritual Energy

气 / 気
kiqì / qi4 / qich`i / chi
Life is a Dew Drop人生朝露jin sei chou ro
jinseichouro
jin sei cho ro
rén shēng zhāo lù
ren2 sheng1 zhao1 lu4
ren sheng zhao lu
renshengzhaolu
jen sheng chao lu
jenshengchaolu
Life in Every Breath生活中的每一次呼吸shēng huó zhōng de měi yī cì hū xī
sheng1 huo2 zhong1 de mei3 yi1 ci4 hu1 xi1
sheng huo zhong de mei yi ci hu xi
sheng huo chung te mei i tz`u hu hsi
sheng huo chung te mei i tzu hu hsi
Life is Good人生良好jin sei ryou kou
jinseiryoukou
jin sei ryo ko
rén shēng liáng hǎo
ren2 sheng1 liang2 hao3
ren sheng liang hao
renshenglianghao
jen sheng liang hao
jenshenglianghao
Journey of Life人生行路jinseikouro
jinseikoro
Rise and Fall
Ups and Downs
栄枯盛衰 / 榮枯盛衰
荣枯盛衰
ei ko sei sui
eikoseisui
Birth
Life
shou / iku / sho / ikushēng / sheng1 / sheng
Best Love
Most Sincere Love
最愛moai
Life in Every Breath吐く息一つにも生命が宿りhakuiki hitotsu nimo seimei ga yadori
Longevity
Long Life Wishes
福如東海壽比南山
福如东海寿比南山
fú rú dōng hǎi shòu bǐ nán shān
fu2 ru2 dong1 hai3 shou4 bi3 nan2 shan1
fu ru dong hai shou bi nan shan
furudonghaishoubinanshan
fu ju tung hai shou pi nan shan
fujutunghaishoupinanshan
Best Love
Most Sincere Love
至愛
至爱
zhì ài / zhi4 ai4 / zhi ai / zhiaichih ai / chihai
New Beginning新たな始まりarata na hajimari
aratanahajimari
Mujo no Kaze
Wind of Impermanence
無常の風mu jou no kaze
mujounokaze
mu jo no kaze
Tranquility Yields Transcendence寧靜致遠
宁静致远
níng jìng zhì yuǎn
ning2 jing4 zhi4 yuan3
ning jing zhi yuan
ningjingzhiyuan
ning ching chih yüan
ningchingchihyüan
Clarityseiqīng / qing1 / qingch`ing / ching
Great Aspirations
Ambition
大志を抱tai shi wo idaku
taishiwoidaku
Alone
Solitary Existence
獨居
独居
dokkyo / dokyodú jū / du2 ju1 / du ju / dujutu chü / tuchü
Moderation
Temperance
節制
节制
sessei / seseijié zhì / jie2 zhi4 / jie zhi / jiezhichieh chih / chiehchih
Shit Happens世事難料
世事难料
shì shì nán liào
shi4 shi4 nan2 liao4
shi shi nan liao
shishinanliao
shih shih nan liao
shihshihnanliao
Wave波浪harou / harobō làng / bo1 lang4 / bo lang / bolangpo lang / polang
Heaven Blesses the Diligent天道酬勤tiān dào chóu qín
tian1 dao4 chou2 qin2
tian dao chou qin
tiandaochouqin
t`ien tao ch`ou ch`in
tientaochouchin
tien tao chou chin
Fatherly Master
Sifu
Shi Fu
Shifu
師父
师父
shi fu / shifushī fù / shi1 fu4 / shi fu / shifushih fu / shihfu
Swim
Swimming
游泳yuuei / yue
yuei / yue
yóu yǒng / you2 yong3 / you yong / youyongyu yung / yuyung
Time and Tide Wait for No Man光陰矢の如し
光阴矢の如し
kouinya no goto shi
kouinyanogotoshi
koinya no goto shi
Big Dream大夢daimudà mèng / da4 meng4 / da meng / damengta meng / tameng
Resilience
Restoration
Recovery
恢復力
恢复力
huī fù lì
hui1 fu4 li4
hui fu li
huifuli
Chaos
Anarchy
Confusion
Mayhem
混亂
混乱
kon ran / konranhùn luàn / hun4 luan4 / hun luan / hunluan
One Who Does Not Do Bad Things, Worries Not of Knocks at His Door白天不做虧心事夜半敲門不吃驚
白天不做亏心事夜半敲门不吃惊
bái tiān bú zuò kuī xīn shì yè bàn qiāo mén bù chī jīng
bai2 tian1 bu2 zuo4 kui1 xin1 shi4 ye4 ban4 qiao1 men2 bu4 chi1 jing1
bai tian bu zuo kui xin shi ye ban qiao men bu chi jing
pai t`ien pu tso k`uei hsin shih yeh pan ch`iao men pu ch`ih ching
pai tien pu tso kuei hsin shih yeh pan chiao men pu chih ching
Accept the Situation and Move On想開
想开
xiǎng kāi
xiang3 kai1
xiang kai
xiangkai
hsiang k`ai
hsiangkai
hsiang kai
Ivy常春藤cháng chūn téng
chang2 chun1 teng2
chang chun teng
changchunteng
ch`ang ch`un t`eng
changchunteng
chang chun teng
Adventure探險
探险 / 探険
tankentàn xiǎn / tan4 xian3 / tan xian / tanxiant`an hsien / tanhsien / tan hsien
Once in a Lifetime一期一會
一期一会
ichigo ichie
ichigoichie
yī qī yī huì
yi1 qi1 yi1 hui4
yi qi yi hui
yiqiyihui
i ch`i i hui
ichiihui
i chi i hui
Dangerkiwēi / wei1 / wei
Birth Old-Age Sickness Death生老病死shou rou byou shi
shouroubyoushi
sho ro byo shi
shēng lǎo bìng sǐ
sheng1 lao3 bing4 si3
sheng lao bing si
shenglaobingsi
sheng lao ping ssu
shenglaopingssu
Musashi武蔵mu sashi / musashi
Mountain Travels Poem by Dumu遠上寒山石徑斜白雲生處有人家停車坐愛楓林晚霜葉紅於二月花
远上寒山石径斜白云生处有人家停车坐爱枫林晚霜叶红于二月花
yuǎn shàng hán shān shí jìng xiá bái yún shēng chù yǒu rén jiā tíng chē zuò ài fēng lín wǎn shuàng yè hóng yú èr yuè huā
yuan3 shang4 han2 shan1 shi2 jing4 xia2 bai2 yun2 sheng1 chu4 you3 ren2 jia1 ting2 che1 zuo4 ai4 feng1 lin2 wan3 shuang4 ye4 hong2 yu2 er4 yue4 hua1
yuan shang han shan shi jing xia bai yun sheng chu you ren jia ting che zuo ai feng lin wan shuang ye hong yu er yue hua
yüan shang han shan shih ching hsia pai yün sheng ch`u yu jen chia t`ing ch`e tso ai feng lin wan shuang yeh hung yü erh yüeh hua
yüan shang han shan shih ching hsia pai yün sheng chu yu jen chia ting che tso ai feng lin wan shuang yeh hung yü erh yüeh hua
Banzai万歲 / 萬歲
万岁
banzaiwàn suì / wan4 sui4 / wan sui / wansui
Learn from Wisdom見賢思齊
见贤思齐
jiàn xián sī qí
jian4 xian2 si1 qi2
jian xian si qi
jianxiansiqi
chien hsien ssu ch`i
chienhsienssuchi
chien hsien ssu chi
In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line.
In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese.


Dictionary

Lookup Life is Like A in my Japanese & Chinese Dictionary


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All of our calligraphy wall scrolls are handmade.

When the calligrapher finishes creating your artwork, it is taken to my art mounting workshop in Beijing where a wall scroll is made by hand from a combination of silk, rice paper, and wood.
After we create your wall scroll, it takes at least two weeks for air mail delivery from Beijing to you.

Allow a few weeks for delivery. Rush service speeds it up by a week or two for $10!

When you select your calligraphy, you'll be taken to another page where you can choose various custom options.


A nice Chinese calligraphy wall scroll

The wall scroll that Sandy is holding in this picture is a "large size"
single-character wall scroll.
We also offer custom wall scrolls in small, medium, and an even-larger jumbo size.

A professional Chinese Calligrapher

Professional calligraphers are getting to be hard to find these days.
Instead of drawing characters by hand, the new generation in China merely type roman letters into their computer keyboards and pick the character that they want from a list that pops up.

There is some fear that true Chinese calligraphy may become a lost art in the coming years. Many art institutes in China are now promoting calligraphy programs in hopes of keeping this unique form of art alive.

Trying to learn Chinese calligrapher - a futile effort

Even with the teachings of a top-ranked calligrapher in China, my calligraphy will never be good enough to sell. I will leave that to the experts.

A high-ranked Chinese master calligrapher that I met in Zhongwei

The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over 6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt such a feat.


Check out my lists of Japanese Kanji Calligraphy Wall Scrolls and Old Korean Hanja Calligraphy Wall Scrolls.

Some people may refer to this entry as Life is Like A Kanji, Life is Like A Characters, Life is Like A in Mandarin Chinese, Life is Like A Characters, Life is Like A in Chinese Writing, Life is Like A in Japanese Writing, Life is Like A in Asian Writing, Life is Like A Ideograms, Chinese Life is Like A symbols, Life is Like A Hieroglyphics, Life is Like A Glyphs, Life is Like A in Chinese Letters, Life is Like A Hanzi, Life is Like A in Japanese Kanji, Life is Like A Pictograms, Life is Like A in the Chinese Written-Language, or Life is Like A in the Japanese Written-Language.

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