Cast & Chart

Omikuji lot 56 of 100

White Hair Before Old Age

末小吉 Sue-sho-kichi, Small good fortune later

生涯喜復憂

未老先白頭

勞心千百度

方遇貴人留

A life of joy that turns to worry again;

before old age, the head is already white.

The heart has labored a thousand, a hundred times;

only then does a person of standing ask you to stay.

What this lot says

Gladness and worry take turns through this life, and the hair goes white before its time. The heart has been worn by effort more times than can be counted. At the very end an honored person appears and keeps the speaker from moving on.

Sue-sho-kichi, Small good fortune later, is the book's printed grade, and the shape of that grade is visible in the poem, with three lines of wear and one of welcome at the close. Printings differ here. A collation note gives one edition Sue-kichi, Good fortune later, and a second edition Han-kichi, Half good fortune.

In present-day life, this could be the person who has aged early from constant effort and is finally noticed by someone in a position to value it. How much of that effort was needed, and how much was worry alone?

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.

Marginal note as printed: 大本作末吉 / 百籖作半吉

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.