Cast & Chart

Omikuji lot 80 of 100

Phoenix Beyond the Nine Heavens

大吉 Dai-kichi, Great good fortune

深山多養道

忠正帝王宣

鳳遂鸞飛去

昇高過九天

Deep in the mountains, much cultivation of the Way;

loyalty and uprightness are proclaimed by the emperor.

The phoenix goes flying after the luan bird,

rising high past the nine heavens.

What this lot says

Far back in the mountains a spiritual practice has been tended for a long time. The emperor publicly proclaims that person's loyalty and integrity. A phoenix follows a luan, another bird of legend, into the air, and they climb beyond the nine heavens, the top of the sky.

The upward motion never breaks under Dai-kichi, Great good fortune, which is what the book prints. A secluded life is noticed at the highest level, and the birds keep rising to the limit of what the poem can name.

In today's setting, this could be quiet and unadvertised work that someone with authority finally recognizes. What are you doing away from view that you would keep doing if nobody ever called?

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.