Let what is past flow away downstream in Japanese Calligraphy

過ぎたるは尚及ばざるが如し (sugitaru wa nao oyobazaru ga gotoshi)

過ぎたるは尚及ばざるが如し (sugitaru wa nao oyobazaru ga gotoshi): having gone too far is just like not having reached. In the Analects, book eleven, a disciple asks which of two men is the better, one who overshoots or one who falls short, and takes it for granted that the overshooter is. The Master answers with these four characters: to go beyond is as wrong as to fall short. The English title is Arthur Waley's sentence of 1938. As a Japanese proverb the line mostly scolds excess; the scroll carries the balance.

Philology of 過ぎたるは尚及ばざるが如し

Let what is past flow away downstream (過ぎたるは尚及ばざるが如し) in Block style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase

Let what is past flow away downstream 過ぎたるは尚及ばざるが如し sugitaru wa nao oyobazaru ga gotoshi Block Vertical VB7C

Let what is past flow away downstream 過ぎたるは尚及ばざるが如し sugitaru wa nao oyobazaru ga gotoshi Block Vertical VB7D

Let what is past flow away downstream (過ぎたるは尚及ばざるが如し) in Cursive style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase

Let what is past flow away downstream 過ぎたるは尚及ばざるが如し sugitaru wa nao oyobazaru ga gotoshi Cursive Vertical VC7B

Let what is past flow away downstream 過ぎたるは尚及ばざるが如し sugitaru wa nao oyobazaru ga gotoshi Cursive Vertical VC7C

Let what is past flow away downstream 過ぎたるは尚及ばざるが如し sugitaru wa nao oyobazaru ga gotoshi Cursive Vertical VC7D

Let what is past flow away downstream (過ぎたるは尚及ばざるが如し) in Design style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase

Let what is past flow away downstream 過ぎたるは尚及ばざるが如し sugitaru wa nao oyobazaru ga gotoshi Design Vertical VD7B

Let what is past flow away downstream (過ぎたるは尚及ばざるが如し) in Semi-Cursive style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase

Let what is past flow away downstream 過ぎたるは尚及ばざるが如し sugitaru wa nao oyobazaru ga gotoshi Semi-Cursive Vertical VS7C

Let what is past flow away downstream 過ぎたるは尚及ばざるが如し sugitaru wa nao oyobazaru ga gotoshi Semi-Cursive Vertical VS7D

About the Designs

Each design is Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase's hand-brushed calligraphy of the word or phrase on this page, delivered as a PDF you can print. Every PDF includes the line art, so a tattoo artist or a craftsperson can work from the outline as well as the brushed image.

Delivery

Your PDF is available for download the moment your order completes, and a copy is attached to your emailed receipt.

Let what is past flow away downstream

過ぎたるは尚及ばざるが如し (sugitaru wa nao oyobazaru ga gotoshi)

About the Designs

Delivery

Also available as a hand-brushed Japanese scroll