Cast & Chart

Omikuji lot 27 of 100

Bright Moon From Black Cloud

吉 Kichi, Good fortune

望禄應重山

花紅喜悅顏

舉頭看皎月

漸出黑雲間

Hoping for a stipend, the answer lies past many mountains.

Red flowers, a face full of joy.

Lift the head and see the bright moon

slowly coming out from among black clouds.

What this lot says

A hoped-for income sits on the far side of range after range. Red blossoms and a delighted expression come next. The eyes then go upward, where a clear moon is working its way free of dark cloud.

According to the book, which prints it, the grade is Kichi, Good fortune. Joy appears before the moon has fully emerged, and the verse lets the two sit side by side.

As we might read it now, this is gladness that does not wait for everything to be settled. What would you lift your head to see, if only for a minute?

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

No differences from the 1684 printing are recorded for this lot.

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.