Language pot script translation

A place to talk about Australian bonsai potters and pottery.
Post Reply
Bonsai Pants
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 3
Joined: September 13th, 2017, 9:47 pm
Favorite Species: Bougainvillia
Bonsai Age: 6
Location: Loganlea
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 2 times

Language pot script translation

Post by Bonsai Pants »

Hi everyone 😁 I bought a pot from my favourite Bonsai shop recently and im trying to figure out what the script on the sides of the pot says or means.

Ive tried apps and websites but its been very hot and cold along with getting different results.

I would love to hear any insights.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
Pup
Knowledgeable rogue
Knowledgeable rogue
Posts: 6357
Joined: November 12th, 2008, 5:19 pm
Favorite Species: melaleucas
Bonsai Age: 31
Bonsai Club: Bonsai society of Western Australia
Location: Southern Suburbs of Perth Western Australia
Been thanked: 35 times
Contact:

Re: Language pot script translation

Post by Pup »

Is it Cantonese or Mandarin or Korean or Vietnamese, or even which I doubt Japanese.

Just a thought.
IN THE LIGHT OF KNOWLEDGE ATTAINED, ACHIEVEMENT IS WITHIN SIGHT

I am not a complete fool, some parts are missing
User avatar
TimS
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 1919
Joined: March 17th, 2017, 2:46 pm
Favorite Species: Japanese Maple
Bonsai Age: 9
Bonsai Club: Waverly Bonsai Group
Location: Melbourne
Has thanked: 426 times
Been thanked: 537 times

Re: Language pot script translation

Post by TimS »

It’s certainly kanji, but I would go with one of the Chinese languages as Japanese pots in this style are not common. I can read a couple of the kanji in their Japanese definitions, but they mean nothing without the context of the whole.

I do know that pots like this sometimes feature poems or comments about seasons in the written portions, which are then used in reference to the tree in the pot. No idea if this is a poem or not though!
In the blue darkening sky, the moon paints a pine tree.
鸕盆栽 Gamauji Bonsai
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 73
Joined: July 22nd, 2019, 4:06 pm
Favorite Species: All
Bonsai Age: 6
Bonsai Club: Korean Bonsai Association
Location: Korea (Wollongong 2020)
Has thanked: 36 times
Been thanked: 26 times
Contact:

Re: Language pot script translation

Post by 鸕盆栽 Gamauji Bonsai »

Bonsai Pants wrote: September 22nd, 2019, 10:44 am Hi everyone 😁 I bought a pot from my favourite Bonsai shop recently and im trying to figure out what the script on the sides of the pot says or means.

Ive tried apps and websites but its been very hot and cold along with getting different results.

I would love to hear any insights.
Chinese. Based on old square script. A remake of an ancient poem.
雨洗坡月清
Rain washes the slopes under a clear moon
東色 The colour of the East
棐古园倍
strengthening the ancient garden even more.



The other line contains a character that is no longer in use so I cant find it in any dictionary. It appears to be the name of the original book that it was taken from.
User avatar
MJL
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 2840
Joined: October 26th, 2014, 8:47 pm
Favorite Species: Maples, Elms, Cedars and Pines
Bonsai Age: 7
Bonsai Club: Waverley Bonsai Group & Yarra Valley Bonsai Society
Location: Melbourne
Has thanked: 424 times
Been thanked: 643 times

Re: Language pot script translation

Post by MJL »

Cool. Don't ya love this forum ... someone poses a question and in pretty short order, there's a response. Well played GB. :clap:
Tending bonsai teaches me patience.
Bonsai Pants
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 3
Joined: September 13th, 2017, 9:47 pm
Favorite Species: Bougainvillia
Bonsai Age: 6
Location: Loganlea
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 2 times

Re: Language pot script translation

Post by Bonsai Pants »

Wow thats cool, thank you so much for that. I was told it was likely old script typically in a form of poem etc so certainly makes sense.

Might even do a little more digging to perhaps find its maker or the poem its based on.

I agree with MJL was not expecting such a great response so quick so thankyou all and special thankyou to Gamauji Bonsai :tu:
鸕盆栽 Gamauji Bonsai
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 73
Joined: July 22nd, 2019, 4:06 pm
Favorite Species: All
Bonsai Age: 6
Bonsai Club: Korean Bonsai Association
Location: Korea (Wollongong 2020)
Has thanked: 36 times
Been thanked: 26 times
Contact:

Re: Language pot script translation

Post by 鸕盆栽 Gamauji Bonsai »

Bonsai Pants wrote: September 22nd, 2019, 5:51 pm Wow thats cool, thank you so much for that. I was told it was likely old script typically in a form of poem etc so certainly makes sense.

Might even do a little more digging to perhaps find its maker or the poem its based on.

I agree with MJL was not expecting such a great response so quick so thankyou all and special thankyou to Gamauji Bonsai :tu:
No problem. It just so happens my day job is prof of linguistics.....and I particularly love ancient Hanzi.(Chinese)
Theses kinds of songs or poems are quite common on pots.
bonsaisensation
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 247
Joined: July 9th, 2010, 10:46 am
Favorite Species: pinus
Bonsai Age: 16
Bonsai Club: bonsai society of vic
Location: melbourne
Been thanked: 2 times
Contact:

Re: Language pot script translation

Post by bonsaisensation »

The Chinese text reads from top down, and from right to left. So the first part of the poem should read ‘雨洗東坡月色清’. The second part ‘琴書靈古意, 園林無俗情’. Some of the characters are written in simplified Chinese, hence looked different to the traditional form that I’ve written.
This is all I can do for you. Let’s see if Gamauji bonsai can help with the translation. :fc:
check out our new website:
http://bonsaisensation.com.au" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Bonsai Pants
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Aussie Bonsai Fan
Posts: 3
Joined: September 13th, 2017, 9:47 pm
Favorite Species: Bougainvillia
Bonsai Age: 6
Location: Loganlea
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 2 times

Re: Language pot script translation

Post by Bonsai Pants »

So the more i look into this the more interesting it seems to get haha.

From what i keep coming across the original poem was written by a Su Shi referring to Dongpo which seems to be the name of a place outside the East gate of Huangzhou and is to do with the east slope where Su Shi was exiled im led to believe. Its here were he seemed to live a farmers life and where he came up with a lot of his works.

Theres a link below that will explain it better then me but this is the verse i keep finding that may be the original. Thanks bonsaisensation i think thats were im getting confused.

"The rain washes the east slope and the moon is clear, the city is full of wild people."

https://translate.googleusercontent.com ... Q3Dotda9wg
Post Reply

Return to “Australian Bonsai Potters”