An orchid blooms from my chest,
but I ignore its majesty,
I always chase for a little kindness.
I struggle to look up at a little sunlight--
winter won't allow me to have its remaining warmth,
maybe because people could become complacent.
A pair of nightingales rest on my palm.
I can hear their melodies
before I fall into a wilderness without moonlight.
I follow the breeze through a silver wheat field,
smelling of fresh orange blossoms,
caressing my cheeks.
Spring appears to be a faraway fantasy,
but I keep on going,
keep on disappearing,
as if I had finally renounced this world,
and transformed into a melancholic white dove.
In a flash,
I've transcended my indifferent body,
I can see the Milky Way,
and feel snowflakes falling on my hand,
glittering like teardrops,
and burning.
I only felt beauty
when the plum blossoms slowly wither,
and the orchid in my heart
faces the wintery land, and blooms. --Elda Mengisto
I do not have much patience with a thing of beauty that must be explained to be understood. If it does need additional interpretation by someone other than the creator, then I question whether it has fulfilled its purpose.
Look at this lovely calligraphy in Ginza! Can you read it? I'll give you a hint—a big hint! It's an antique dealer.
The sign reads 古美術ささき or Kobijutsu Sasaki. The Sasaki part is a name (probably 佐々木), and 美術 (bijutsu) means art, and 古美術 (kobijutsu) means antiques/old works of art.
古 means old, and it’s read furu.i, furu.su, or ko. The top part is 十 ten and the bottom is 口 mouth/aperture. Did you recognize it right away?
美 means beauty, and it's read utsuku.shii, bi, or mi. I was unsure whether I was looking at 美 beauty or 笑 laughter (especially since I was coming from a nearby restaurant with 笑 in the name).
術 is new to this blog, and it stumped me in this script! My best guess was 淵 deep pool and my husband's was 荒 rough, but looking closer, it was obviously neither of those. Honestly, even knowing what it is, I still find it quite hard to see...