More translation help requested 2

[Gyakuto147 156]

Here it is in gyosho…

And in Kaisho…

 

[opr1945145 32]

My next appointment at the library is Monday evening.

Once again thank you very much.

opr1945

 

[opr1945145 32]

I believe that I prefer the Kaisho version.

 

[Gyakuto147 156]

I believe that I prefer the Kaisho version.

It is nice and clear.

 

[opr1945145 32]

Gyakuto, I have decided on these 4 mottos for my decorative column


The best defense is to not be there

If you want peace, prepare for war.

(self improvement-I already have)

(cry in dojo -I already have.......)


These for wood shed wall

Uechi Ryu Karate Do
(Okinawa Kouburyu-which I already have.)


I would like for you to translate the three above in bold into vertical Kaisho. If I can inconvenience you.

Thank You, opr1945

 

[Gyakuto147 156]

This is what Chatgpt says

A natural Japanese rendering of “The best defense is to not be there” would be:

最善の防御は、そこに居ないこと。
Saizen no bōgyo wa, soko ni inai koto.

Literally: “The best defence is to not be there.”


For a more concise, martial-arts / budō-style maxim, I would recommend:


最善の防御は不在なり
Saizen no bōgyo wa fuzai nari
“The best defence is absence.”


Or, if you want something that has the feel of an old Japanese maxim rather than a modern translation:


最上の防御は、敵前に在らず
Saijō no bōgyo wa, tekizen ni arazu
“The supreme defence is not being before the enemy.”


For calligraphy, I particularly like 最善の防御は不在なり — it has a suitably austere, classical feel.

Which do you prefer?

 

[Gyakuto147 156]

ChatGPT says

The well-known maxim “If you want peace, prepare for war” is traditionally rendered in Japanese as:

平和を欲するなら、戦争に備えよ。
Heiwa o hossuru nara, sensō ni sonaeyo.

Literally: “If you desire peace, prepare for war.”


For a more classical, terse maxim suitable for Japanese calligraphy, I would suggest:

欲和平、備戦
Yoku heiwa, bi-sen
“Desire peace; prepare for war.”


However, if your intention is something that looks and sounds like a traditional Japanese martial maxim, I think this is stronger:

和平を欲すれば、戦に備えよ
Wahei o hossureba, ikusa ni sonaeyo.

Here 戦（いくさ / ikusa） has an older, distinctly martial flavour compared with the modern 戦争（sensō）.

For a vertical gyōsho or kaisho rendering, I would favour:

和平を欲すれば
戦に備えよ


It has a nice balance of characters and kana for brush calligraphy.

 

[Gyakuto147 156]

Uechi-ryū Karate-dō is written in Japanese as:

上地流空手道

Reading: うえちりゅう からてどう
Uechi-ryū Karate-dō

Breakdown:

• 上地 — Uechi (the family name)
• 流 — ryū, “school/style/tradition”
• 空手 — karate, “empty hand”
• 道 — dō, “way/path”

For a traditional vertical calligraphy rendering, the natural form is:


上
地
流
空
手
道


This is the standard kanji form and would work very nicely in kaisho or gyōsho, particularly vertically.

 

[Gyakuto147 156]

Let me know which one’s you prefer and I’ll ask Ai to render them into vertical kaisho.

 

[opr1945145 32]

The best defense is to not be there
I prefer:
最善の防御は不在なり
Saizen no bōgyo wa fuzai nari
“The best defence is absence.”



If you want peace, prepare for war.
I prefer:
和平を欲すれば
戦に備えよ



Uechi Ryu Karate Do
I prefer:
上
地
流
空
手
道


Thank you very much. OPR1945

 

[Gyakuto147 156]

The best defense is to not be there
I prefer:
最善の防御は不在なり
Saizen no bōgyo wa fuzai nari
“The best defence is absence.”

There’s the first…

 

[Gyakuto147 156]

If you want peace, prepare for war.
I prefer:
和平を欲すれば 戦に備えよ

Here’s the second…

 

[Gyakuto147 156]

Uechi Ryu Karate Do
I prefer:
上
地
流
空
手
道

There you go.

Best of luck!

 

[opr1945145 32]

THANK YOU very much. I really appreciate you help. OPR1945

 

[Gyakuto147 156]

Have you tried using Chatgpt for these kinds of task? I can show you some basic prompts; it’s very easy as long as you’re not asking it to do something nuanced.

 

[opr1945145 32]

Okay, I started with a piece of "red oak". didn't look very red to me so I coated it with redwood stain. Then I had it engraved with motto. Then applied clear polyurethane, Can't say I am impressed.

Option 1: Have my son paint the characters with a light color paint. white, tan?

Option 2: I have a piece of clear, no grain showing, poplar That I have stained with the same stain. So the engraving should show up a light tan. I am not sure why but the angle view seems to stand out the most.

 

[opr1945145 32]

Have you tried using Chatgpt for these kinds of task? I can show you some basic prompts; it’s very easy as long as you’re not asking it to do something nuanced.

I am an old person and my computer skills are very limited. But, if you can give me advice I would appreciate it very much.

ps. At my work, career, the university decided to go completely paper-less. All lectures, assignments, exams, and evaluation had to be done on line. I addition I would have submit to each student every month and evaluate of their progress to date. Typicially, I had 700 students each semester in a lecture hall. Since I was only a few years from retirement I decided to retire early instead of learning all the new software and then retiring. So computer are not my long suit.

 

[Gyakuto147 156]

Okay, I started with a piece of "red oak". didn't look very red to me so I coated it with redwood stain. Then I had it engraved with motto. Then applied clear polyurethane, Can't say I am impressed.

Option 1: Have my son paint the characters with a light color paint. white, tan?

Option 2: I have a piece of clear, no grain showing, poplar That I have stained with the same stain. So the engraving should show up a light tan. I am not sure why but the angle view seems to stand out the most.

It seems it looks better on light coloured timber. The Japanese use hinoki (Japanese cypress Chamaecyparis obtusa) which does rot away for a long time.

What are you going to do next?

 

[Gyakuto147 156]

I am an old person and my computer skills are very limited. But, if you can give me advice I would appreciate it very much.

ps. At my work, career, the university decided to go completely paper-less. All lectures, assignments, exams, and evaluation had to be done on line. I addition I would have submit to each student every month and evaluate of their progress to date. Typicially, I had 700 students each semester in a lecture hall. Since I was only a few years from retirement I decided to retire early instead of learning all the new software and then retiring. So computer are not my long suit.

I always marvelled at one of the old prof’s in my department (eighty odd year old Otto Hutter - he discovered the nature of the heart’s pacemaker potential) ability to use advanced technology. He’d tap away on the latest software, new fangled mobile phones were navigated with ease etc. I asked how he managed to ‘keep up to date’. He replied that he simply forced himself and against the apathy of old age because in the end, the technology made his life/research much easier and he believed the effort prevented cognitive decline.

I emulate his attitude as I think he’s right.

 

[opr1945145 32]

My end goal is to have 4 mottos for column and 2-3 for shed wall. I have several done which I have given to one of my sons to paint the characters. Unfortunately, I don't know which ones he has. So I will have to get with him to figure out which ones need to be done. My next appointment is on Monday.