Cast & Chart

Omikuji lot 19 of 100

Thorns on the Household Path

末吉 Sue-kichi, Good fortune later

家道生荆棗

兒孫防虎威

香前祈福厚

方得免分離

Thorn and jujube scrub grow on the household's way.

Children and grandchildren, beware the tiger's might.

Before the incense, pray for blessing deeply,

and only then be spared from parting.

What this lot says

Brambles have grown across the path of a family, and the younger generations are warned about a tiger's power. Incense burns and earnest prayer follows. The final line makes being spared from separation depend on that prayer.

Sue-kichi, Good fortune later, is printed in this book of 1813. Printings differ: the 1684 printing gives Sue-sho-kichi, Small good fortune later, and another records the same grade. The verse keeps its good news at the far end and conditional, in step with both.

As a reflection for now, the thorns suggest neglect that has quietly become an obstacle between people. What has been growing across a path you stopped walking?

A lot is a prompt for reflection. It cannot promise a result, and it is no substitute for medical, legal or financial advice.

The printed text

Where the 1684 printing differs

  • Grade: 1684 printing has 末小吉.

Marginal note as printed: 百籖和觧作末小吉

Credits

The verse and grade were read from the two scanned printings named here. The title, translation and reading are our own and modern.

Our own English. The kana commentary printed under each verse in the old books was not read.