Japanese Haiku Tattoo (Poem) – Issa Kobayashi. In this world of ours, We walk above hell, Gazing at flowers
A Japanese verse life in Japanese letters is available for instant download. The scripts are available in 3 different writing styles for your preference. Created and verified by a native Japanese speaker. 100% accurate and Your favourite tattoo artist DOES NOT need to know any Japanese.
世の中は 地獄の上の 花見かな
In this world of ours, We walk above hell, Gazing at flowers
(or: In this world / We walk on the roof of Hell / Gazing at flowers)*There are several translations
Author : Issa Kobayashi
Japanese verse on life explained
This poem talks about how meaningless and cruel
David G. Lanoue writes in his excellent website Haiku of Kobayashi Issa,
“In it, Issa offers a striking juxtaposition: above, people enjoy a pleasant day of viewing spring blossoms–drinking sake, eating, joking, laughing; while deep below, poor souls suffer the torments of hell. The contrast suggests that, for Issa, the opposite of hell isn’t heaven; it’s being in this world on a day when the blossoms bloom.”
Reference :
Lanoue, David G. (1991-2009). Haiku of Kobayashi Issa.
Instant Download
There is a button to download the file right after checkout and no need to wait for me to send it to you. Then you just simply forward it to your favourite tattoo artist. The letters are 100% accurate and he/she does not need to know any Japanese. The file contains both calligraphy style and line art (Stencil).Stencil is what your tattoo artist must have to ink the tattoo as it serves as the outline to trace the artwork onto your skin.
NOTE : The letters DO NOT NEED TO BE MIRRORED, they should appear just as it appears on the print-out.
PDF or JPG?
All letters in any file with ‘verse‘ tag fits in a 22cm (8.66inch) x 8cm (3.14) frame. Depending on the number of letters, the size of the letters vary and the letters may not fill the entire frame. New line starts after certain syllables in accordance with the rules of Japanese verse.
Please select the pdf version if you want to resize the letters to your perfect needs as it is illustrator-editable and resize-friendly. Your tattoo artist can make it bigger or smaller with no problem.
Here are the example files for your reference.
3 different styles
You have 3 writing styles to choose from for this design.
each style gives different impressions and I have summarised in the gallery above.
How to order
Just simply tick your preferred style and hit the ‘purchase’ button. You have 3 writing styles to choose from for this design. Each style gives different impressions. In a nutshell,
- Style 1: Elegant, Delicate
- Style 2: Chic, Sophisticated
- Style 3: Earnest, Sincere
Share Now!