Kokin wakashu
 

hi,
I have found under Japan Geschenke Shop japanische Lampen Schriftzeichen Kalligraphie Uhren und Dekoration a nice clock - and on it is according to this site a poem from the Kokin Wakashu ... The authors say, the meaning is in German as follows: "Ist diese Welt Traum oder Realität? Niemand weiß, ob es Realität oder Traum ist, denn es scheint zu existieren, aber es existiert doch nicht." (English it might be as follows: "Is this world dream or reality? Nobody knows, if it is reality or dream, because it seems to exist, but it exists certainly not"). It seems, that the Sosho writing begins with the Hiragana (or Hentaigana?) との and seems to contain also a め . But the Sosho is a very difficult writing form, so that I cannot be sure if it is not another sign. ... But I didn't find it yet. I tried to find it under UVa Library Etext Center: Japanese Text Initiative

Can anybody help me to find out which poem exactly this is? Which poem number of the mentioned text link it is? Or is it really from the Kokin wakashu?

Bye!

Mulan

Can't believe you're back with another. Below is how you treated another member when he took the time to answer your professional-level question.

http://www.japanforum.com/forum/japa...%E8%AA%9E.html

Hi,
I didn't have the intention to treat anybody badly or anyhow respectless. I obviousely made the mistake, that I didn't mark it for email repond - but now I have seen his reply. His respond was: "Quire # 38."
But now I have the problem to find the # 38 ... I tried the search engine, but it didn't give me any answer. It wpould have been better to link it anyhow so that I would have gone there directly. ... Of course I will write to him to apologize.

Bye!
Mulan

It's Poem # 942 from Kokin-Wakashu. Author unknown.

世の中は　夢か現か　現とも　夢とも知らず　ありてな ければ

All-Kana Version:
よのなかは　ゆめかうつつか　うつつとも　ゆめともし らず　ありてなければ　　　　　　　　　

Hi,
thank you so much for your enlightening support. I see that it is really a special science in respect of the Sosho and Hiragana/Hentaigana pp.
By the way, I love the way the brush is used in this kind of writing. When I look into the websites with manuscript scans at Waseda University Library, I see very nice examples of this wonderful style (right in this poetry collection):
http://archive.wul.waseda.ac.jp/kosho/he04/he04_05284/
http://archive.wul.waseda.ac.jp/kosho/he04/he04_00224/
http://archive.wul.waseda.ac.jp/kosho/he04/he04_05299/
http://archive.wul.waseda.ac.jp/kosho/he04/he04_06080/
http://archive.wul.waseda.ac.jp/kosho/he04/he04_08051/

Once again thank you for your support.

Mulan