運命の悪戯 unmei no itazura Whim of Fate

A trick of fate: the strange turn of events that feels as though something beyond human knowing were toying with you. The mischief in it is a prank's, a child's meddling, and it is benign as often as cruel, which is what makes the phrase everyday Japanese rather than a lament; it has its own dictionary headword and has titled television dramas. A Japanese reader would swear it native, and its oldest page is a translation, a castaway's cry as the rescue ship passes him by, which suits a phrase that came into the language with the West's literature and made itself at home. Whether it is for the turn that went against you or for the one that went your way is yours.

We want you to be as happy with the meaning as you are with Master Takase's art. To learn more, visit Philology of 運命の悪戯.

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