May 23, 2009
Chapter 1 (Kizan)
The title "Kizan" (帰山) literally means "homecoming mountain." Pronounced kisan, the same characters refer to a monk returning to his temple after a pilgrimage. This meaning will become apparent in the next chapter.
芝草 [しそう] Shisou (lawn grass)
芬華 [ふんか] Funka Palace ("perfumed splendor")
柳国 [りゅうこく] Kingdom of Ryuu (willow)
劉王 [りゅうおう] Royal Ryuu (axe)
利広 [りこう] Rikou ("wide advantage")
助露峰 [じょろほう] Jo Rohou (rescue dew summit)
宗王 [そうおう] Royal Sou (essence)
延王 [えんおう] Royal En (prolong)
In chapter 24 of A Thousand Leagues of Wind, Enki recruits Rakushun to travel to Ryuu to collect information on the state of affairs there.
The names of the city gates are explained here.
芝草 [しそう] Shisou (lawn grass)
芬華 [ふんか] Funka Palace ("perfumed splendor")
柳国 [りゅうこく] Kingdom of Ryuu (willow)
劉王 [りゅうおう] Royal Ryuu (axe)
利広 [りこう] Rikou ("wide advantage")
助露峰 [じょろほう] Jo Rohou (rescue dew summit)
宗王 [そうおう] Royal Sou (essence)
延王 [えんおう] Royal En (prolong)
In chapter 24 of A Thousand Leagues of Wind, Enki recruits Rakushun to travel to Ryuu to collect information on the state of affairs there.
The names of the city gates are explained here.
Labels: 12 kingdoms, kasho
Comments
I like the aspects of human nature popping up that so parallel our own in this day and age.
Forgive my ignorance but is this a new book continuing with characters from the 12 Kingdoms? And since I like this, would it make more sense to start over with the others?
Forgive my ignorance but is this a new book continuing with characters from the 12 Kingdoms? And since I like this, would it make more sense to start over with the others?
I've also been quite impressed with Fuyumi Ono's insights into human nature, especially in the intersection between psychology and politics.
The stories in Dreaming of Paradise take place in the Twelve Kingdoms universe and involve characters from the novels. The rest of my translations cover the "Youko arc" (touched upon in "Pen-Pals"). I would recommend starting with Shadow of the Moon.
Incidentally, chapter two of "Kizan" (which I'll post next week) sums up much of what's been going on in the Twelve Kingdoms through A Thousand Leagues of Wind.
I further explain the order and chronology of the novels here.
The stories in Dreaming of Paradise take place in the Twelve Kingdoms universe and involve characters from the novels. The rest of my translations cover the "Youko arc" (touched upon in "Pen-Pals"). I would recommend starting with Shadow of the Moon.
Incidentally, chapter two of "Kizan" (which I'll post next week) sums up much of what's been going on in the Twelve Kingdoms through A Thousand Leagues of Wind.
I further explain the order and chronology of the novels here.
Yay!
Can you indicate how many chapters there'll be?
The ending of that chapter still seems weird. I wonder if I'm missing something cultural. (I know what Go is! But the exchange seems odd, and did in canis_m's abortive translation.)
Can you indicate how many chapters there'll be?
The ending of that chapter still seems weird. I wonder if I'm missing something cultural. (I know what Go is! But the exchange seems odd, and did in canis_m's abortive translation.)
There are only two (long) chapters. I believe the go reference arises out of Rikou and Fuukan musing about how they'd destroy each other's kingdoms (p. 341). Rikou ventures that the Royal En (Fuukan) would make "a bet with Heaven." He offers their own example of serendipitous meetings. But at the end of the chapter, Fuukan (Shouryuu) intimates that he once initiated such a "bet" using go stones.
Oh, so like, "yes, you're sort of right about me, but I actually outgrew that 200 years ago, nyaa nyaa"?
typo: "two hundreds years"
canis actually got somewhat into the next chapter, leading me to speculate on how Sou might fall. Literally. Though I don't know if falls would kill sennin, even off an Imperial mountain...
typo: "two hundreds years"
canis actually got somewhat into the next chapter, leading me to speculate on how Sou might fall. Literally. Though I don't know if falls would kill sennin, even off an Imperial mountain...