Translation Request

[Nenka]

I have these two scrolls my husband bought for me from Ebay a while back. Can anyone tell me what they say? I assume they're poems.

6200

6201

Here they are in their entirety:

6202

Thanks!

Gassho

Nenka

ST

[Jundo]

Hi Nenka,

Mina and I are not sure but think them Chinese. The writing in the first is a four character phrase 鳥語花香 which mean "bird speak flower scent" (i.e., "the bird's call, the scent of flowers"). Here is a idiom dictionary listing.

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=https://yoji.jitenon.jp/yojig/3455.html&prev=search

The source is apparently an old 12th Century Chinese text by a poet named in Japanese Ryohonchu and in Chinese Lü Ben-zhong 呂本中

https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=P-c4CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA853&lpg=PA853&dq=L%C3%BC+Benzhong&source=bl&ots=EppO2SXLue&sig=ACfU3U1Zra2wsAn-T3UoK61pm4SLEEaHug&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjC7MDr2N_lAhWHUN4KHSM9CVcQ6AEwBHoECAkQA Q#v=onepage&q=L%C3%BC%20Benzhong&f=false

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=https://kotobank.jp/word/%25E5%2591%2582%25E6%259C%25AC%25E4%25B8%25AD-150163&prev=search

The second is a three character phrase 燕雙飛 that means "swallow pair flying" (i.e., "a pair of swallows flying"). It seems to be a hit book and tv show in Taiwan, and older songs seem to use the phrase. I don't know much more. Here is a song by the same name ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8gJPCrruJ0

Perhaps this Han dynasty poem is the source ...

https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=aoH11JVHs4AC&pg=PA35&lpg=PA35&dq=chinese+%22pair+of+swallows+flying%22&source=bl&ots=t_2ogICBz2&sig=ACfU3U2XyNeRgtB_nDSKeB5sNRwjvbgvJg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjanbia29_lAhWROnAKHWSZCsYQ6AEwDHoECAkQA Q#v=onepage&q=%22pair%20of%20swallows%20flying%22&f=false

The expression next to both is unclear, but seems to be 丙农春 or something like "Spring everywhere"? Not sure.

The artist seems to sign his name "Grass Hermit" 草仙 or Caoxian in Chinese.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Risho]

Nenka,

I think they say something like "More Doctors Smoke Camel than any other cigarette".

I kid, I kid; they look really cool!

Gassho

Rish
-lahst

[Nenka]

Thank you, Jundo (and Mina!) for taking the time to check these out. I've been wondering about them for some time. gassho1

Risho--as they're both a little bit grease (?) spattered, we figure they might have once hung in a restaurant. My husband suspected they said "Eat at Joe's." :D

Gassho

Nenka

ST