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the other two pages...


Darcy

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This is now completely beyond me.

 

The first is the Tenran on the sayagaki. That I get.

 

1.jpg

 

The second page of the note started in the previous page is all in grass script, and I can only pick out a couple of words.

 

Um, make that one word, all I see in there is "katana".

 

 

 

 

 

The third image is the note from Honami Shobei which is from around 1720 +/- 10 years or so. This I had read to me in terms of its overall meaning, I am not sure about the actual reading and would love to establish the kanji if possible.

 

I think it comes last in the order of pages. It is supposed to be a polishing invoice, where the sword was first attributed to Yukimitsu and valued at 1,000 kan. It states that the sword is suriage, with a hi and is in perfect condition.

 

Any assistance is really appreciated. I've been asking around on these things for three years and getting information piecemeal, and due to the difficulty and not wanting to press anyone, it's been hard to try to get the big picture out of them.

 

This one is more clear to me, I can see it starting with "one o-suriage mumei katana" and I see Yukimitsu named in there, but the rest... I don't know how you guys do it :-).

 

honami-l.jpg

post-10-14196744942209_thumb.jpg

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Wow, this is incredibly helpful. Thank you so much.

 

I translated the kanji based on your reading... one word I have trouble with is "goza", I am not sure what it is supposed to mean and it came up twice in the first translation. Here's what I have, I am not perfectly confident and think I missed some detail:

 

1.

一磨上樋刀。

Hitotsu suriage hi katana

One shortened katana with hi.

2.

研出来候上吟味御座候処二行光二も相成可申候。

Togi deki sourou ue ginmi goza sourou tokoro ni Yukimitsu ni mo ai nari beku mousu sourou.

The sword was polished, and after careful investigation (??goza??), I have the honor to pass judgment to Yukimitsu.

3.

右之代金千貫其余も可仕候。

Migi no daikin senkan sonoyo mo beku tsukamatsuru sourou.

The aforementioned is valued in excess of 1,000 kan (I am missing something here?).

4.

尤無疵二も御座候。

Mottomo mukizu nimo goza sourou.

The sword is perfectly flawless.

5.

以上。

ijo.

That is all.

6.

四月十日本阿弥庄兵衛

Shi gatsu touka. Honami Shobei.

April 10th [no year given], Honami Shobei

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The second one I am more confident I got right, it seems fairly straight forward. I might have tripped over "wu" (year of the Hare?) and "dentou" I figured meant the same as "denrai" just more specific, so an heirloom sword?

 

1.

無銘御刀亨保二十年卯四月本阿弥庄兵衛二研

Mumei on-katana Kyoho niju nen wu shi gatsu Honami Shobei ni togasu.

In April of 1736 (the year of the Hare), Honami Shobei polished the unsigned o-katana.

2.

御傳刀同名共吟味仕候添書同月十日以来

On dentou doumyo domo ginmi tsukamatsuri sourou soegaki dogetsu touka o motte kitaru.

The honorable heirloom sword, was also given an official attribution by Honami Shobei: see the attached letter dated 10 days into the same month.

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I might have tripped over "wu" (year of the Hare?) and "dentou" I figured meant the same as "denrai" just more specific, so an heirloom sword?

In this case, I think that 夘 (卯) means 卯の花 (U no Hana = deutzia) 卯月 (Uzuki) is another name of the 4th month.

 

Only a thought.

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I translated the kanji based on your reading... one word I have trouble with is "goza", I am not sure what it is supposed to mean and it came up twice in the first translation. Here's what I have, I am not perfectly confident and think I missed some detail:

The word "goza" is an honorific term for its following verb. So, I think that you do not have to translate it explicitly.

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Thank you Moriyama san... a question about the translation, when they say things like "on katana" or in this case goza, I gather they are speaking in a very formal or antique or very polite way. I like to try to have the english reflect this, but things like "honored sword" I guess sound a bit strange to the ear. I'm going to settle on o-katana I think following your example.

 

Would there be anything I could say for the goza or will it just have to be dropped?

 

I felt like I didn't get the whole meaning on this line either, I had more words than I needed...

 

右之代金千貫其余も可仕候。

Migi no daikin senkan sonoyo mo beku tsukamatsuru sourou.

The aforementioned is valued in excess of 1,000 kan (I am missing something here?).

 

Any thoughts?

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I felt like I didn't get the whole meaning on this line either, I had more words than I needed...

 

右之代金千貫其余も可仕候。‚

Migi no daikin senkan sonoyo mo beku tsukamatsuru sourou.

The aforementioned is valued in excess of 1,000 kan (I am missing something here?).

The meaning might be as follows, but I am unsure about both Japanese and English. Please correct me, if I am wrong.

 

"It can be said that the value of the item on the right will be 1,000 kan or even more."

 

As for the appropriate translations for honorific expressions, other knowledgeable members might help you.

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I might have tripped over "wu" (year of the Hare?) and "dentou" I figured meant the same as "denrai" just more specific, so an heirloom sword?

In this case, I think that 夘 (卯) means 卯の花 (U no Hana = deutzia). 卯月 (Uzuki) is another name of the 4th month.

 

Only a thought.

I withdraw my theory. I found an example of date inscription in which a zodiac sign was written after 年 (nen = year). So, 卯 (wu) may mean the Hare of zodiac signs as you said.

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I just tried entering in 1736 into a Chinese zodiac calculator... which is the year of the Dragon, but 1735 is indeed the year of the hare, and then I checked and saw that I calculated Kyoho 20 wrong (I stated it as 1736 when it is 1735).

 

I had never seen this before actually four days ago, when I saw a sword with a zodiac sign after the era (year of the rooster) but before the numbers. In that case it matched the era too... funny how you can go 10 years without seeing anything like this then within 5 days you get two.

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Guest reinhard

Hi Darcy,

 

In Iimura's "Token Yoran" you find the zodiac Kanji attributed to every nengo. Kyoho 20th year was "kinoto-(w)u". Don't leave home without it ;-).

I prefer Moriyama-San's first (withdrawn) version (uzuki referring to the 4th lunar month) BTW.

 

reinhard

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