Cast & Chart

Omikuji lot 89 of 100

One Piece of Flawless Jade

大吉 Dai-kichi, Great good fortune

一片無瑕玉

從今好琢磨

得遇高人識

方逢喜氣多

A single piece of flawless jade:

from now on it is good to cut and polish.

Meeting a high person who recognizes it,

you then come upon much gladness.

What this lot says

A single piece of jade has no defect in it. From this point on it is ready for shaping and polish. Someone of real discernment sees what it is, and joy arrives in quantity after that meeting.

Printed here in the book is Dai-kichi, Great good fortune, a bright grade for a bright stone. The jade already has its quality, and the good in the poem depends on work and on an eye that can tell.

For a modern reader, this is about talent that has not been worked yet and the person who spots it. What have you been keeping uncut because it seemed fine as it was?

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.