When Chinese characters meet paper-cut

Through thousands of years, the Chinese character, 汉字 (hàn zì) has been the only remaining hieroglyphic. People can carve it, paint it, sing it, or even make it dance like an ancient oriental beauty in the world throughout the long history. With the ineffable fascination, Chinese character has attracted more and more people around the world to study the Chinese language. In Japan, a young lady called Mika. Y has created a paper cut-out character each day since last year, successfully revealing the charm of Chinese characters in the form of paper-cut. The lines from famous Chinese poems are perfectly presented by Mika's handmade cut-out Chinese characters.

传承了几千年的汉字，是世界上唯一留下的象形文字。汉字的美，仿佛是悠长的岁月在天地间的各式书写：可刻，可画，可歌，可舞。或许正是因为汉字的动人魅力，才吸引了全世界越来越多的人加入到汉语学习中来。在日本，一个叫山田美香的女孩，甚至用剪纸的形式再现了汉字的神韵，一年365天，她每日一作，用汉字剪出了世界上最美的诗句。

麦 (mài): wheat

yè lái nán fēng qǐ, xiǎo mài fù lǒng huáng

夜来南风起，小麦覆陇黄。

Last night there came a strong south wind 

and the wheat turned to gold in the fields. 

—— 白居易，《观刈麦》

– Bai Juyi, Watching the Reapers

水 (shuǐ): water

jiān jiā cāng cāng , bái lù wéi shuāng . suǒ wèi yī rén , zài shuǐ yì fāng

蒹葭苍苍，白露为霜。所谓伊人，在水一方。

Thick grow the rush leaves; their white dew turns to frost.

He whom I love must be somewhere along this stream.

—— 《蒹葭》

– The Reeds and_Rushes

夜 (yè): night

hēi yè gěi le wǒ hēi sè de yǎn jīng , wǒ què yòng tā xún zhǎo guāng míng

黑夜给了我黑色的眼睛，我却用它寻找光明。

The night gives me black eyes, with them I look for the light.

—— 顾城，《一代人》

– Gu Cheng, The Generation

见 (jiàn): to see

nǐ jiàn , huò zhě bú jiàn wǒ, wǒ jiù zài nà li, bù bēi bù xǐ

你见，或者不见我，我就在那里，不悲不喜。

You come to see me or not, right there I am, neither sad nor glad.

—— 《见与不见》

– You Come to See Me or Not

田 (tián): field

jī niǎo liàn jiù lín , chí yú sī gù yuān , kāi huāng nán yě jì, shǒu zhuō guī yuán tián

羁鸟恋旧林，池鱼思故渊，开荒南野际，守拙归园田。

Birds in the cage would long for wooded hills; 

Fish in the pond would yearn for flowing rills.

So I reclaim the land in southern fields 

To suit my bent for reaping farmland yields.

—— 陶渊明《归园田居》

– Tao Yuanming, Back to Country Life

桃 (táo): peach 

táo zhī yāo yāo, zhuó zhuó qí huá

桃之夭夭，灼灼其华。

The peach tree is slender and sturdy,

Flaming red are its blossoms.

—— 《诗经》

– The Book of Songs

海 (hǎi): sea

明 (míng): bright

hǎi shàng shēng míng yuè, tiān yá gòng cǐ shí

海上生明月，天涯共此时。

As the bright moon shines over the sea, 

From far away you share this moment with me.

—— 张九龄，《望月怀远》

– Zhang Jiuling, Viewing the Moon, Thinking of You 

绿 (lǜ): green

zhī fǒu, zhī fǒu, yīng shì lǜ féi hóng shòu

知否，知否，应是绿肥红瘦。

Don't you know it is time

For the green to grow fat and the red to grow thin?

—— 李清照，《如梦令》

– Li Qingzhao, To the Tune "A Dream Song"

花 (huā): flower

yún xiǎng yī shang huā xiǎng róng, chūn fēng fú kǎn lù huá nóng

云想衣裳花想容，春风拂槛露华浓。

Her dress is like a cloud, her face a flower. 

The spring breeze reveals a peony after shower. 

—— 李白，《清平調》

– Li Bai, Lady Yang

The article is translated and editted by Chinlingo. Please indicate the source for any use, reproduction or transfer. 

本文由Chinlingo编译后发布，如需转载，请标明来源。