January



[Kaibun]
Japanese palindrome

   This time, I introduce you Japanese palindrome.
I love this kind of play with words.
I know two English versions.
  1.ble was I ere I saw Elba.
  2. Madam, I'm Adam.

Do you know another palindrome ?
The following are Japanese palindrome.

Children's level
1.to-ma-to(tomato)
2.shi-n-bu-n-shi(newspaper)

Intermediate level
3.ta-shi-ka-ni-ka-shi-ta(I lent you certainly.)
4.na-tsu-ma-de-ma-tsu-na(Don't wait until summer.)
5.yo-ki-tsu-ki-yo (a good moonlight night)
6.wa-ta-shi-ma-ke-ma-shi-ta-wa(I was defeated.)

Advanced level
7.na-ga-ki-yo-no-to-o-no-ne-mu-ri-no-mi-na-me-za-me-
 na-mi-no-ri-fu-ne-no-o-to-no-yo-ki-ka-na
 (From far-away sleep of a long night, everyone waked up.
  Sounds of waves that a ship makes is confortable.)

  Last one is a special Waka(short poem) to pray to have a good dream in the first night of New Year. Old days, many Japanese put a picture of Takarabune(seven fortune gods on a treasure ship) with this Waka under thier pillow before they slept on the first night of a year. So a ship indicate a treasure ship. I hope that you have a good dream as Hatsu-yume( Firstdream of the New Year).

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