I just purchased a Beni Schichihenge. Is there anything special I should know about this japanese maple? How do you pronounce schichihenge? Thanks, Sunkeeper
Re: Beni Schichihenge I don't know that much about maples (or trees or plants generally), but I did study the Japanese language for a few years, so I can help a bit with the pronounciation. It's sort of like "bay nee shee chee HEN gay," except that the vowels are shorter than the above spelling indicates. (Instead of ay, an e with an accent - as in Oil of Ole' - might be more suitable, and the ee after sh or ch is unvoiced, which is not quite the same thing as silent. ) In case you're curious about the meaning, beni=deep red or crimson, shichi=7 and henge = ghost or apparition. The choice of the number 7 should not be taken literally. It is often used to indicate 'many' or 'various' as in shichimi (lit. 7-flavor, a Japanese spice mix) or shichimenchou (turkey, lit. 7-faced bird). So figuratively the name means something like "crimson variegated ghost." (Although the characters for henge literally mean "strange" and "change into", from the notion that ghosts can take on various forms, which perhaps alludes to the changes in the leaves' appearance with the seasons.) I know that's way more than you wanted to know, but I get so few opportunities to demonstrate my (limited) expertise in Japanese. Regards, Jim
Re: Beni Schichihenge Jim, It's really nice to have someone who is familiar with more than just the literal translation! I, for one, really appreciate the extra effort it takes to give us a sense of how the words fit culturally and expressively. Particularly with some of the very old cultivars, it helps me to understand the mindset of those who first worked with Japanese Maples. Thanks! Susan
Re: Beni Schichihenge Yes Jim, thank you for your translations. If you want to continue by improving the list below that must be full of mistakes, that would be great ! Aka : Light red Aka tsuchi = red pot ground Akadama = red clay Akebono = paddle Akegarasu = the crows at paddle Aki : Fall (the season) Ao = green Ao shidare = green cascade Aoba = green thumb Aocha = green bast Aoyagi = green willow tree Arakawa = rough bark Arakida tsuchi = ground under the rice plantations Asahi = sun rise Asahi zuru = morning swan At nyo = angel At tsugi = graft on understock Azuma murasaki = Beni = deep red Beni kagami = red mirror Beni komachi = a nicely red-haired little girl Beni maiko = a rood/dancing little girl Beni shidare = red cascade Bunjin (Bunjingi) = literati Chin = gold Chirimen = Japanese crepe paper Chirimen nishiki = coloured paper Chisio = blood Chiu bonsai = 30 - 60 cm Dai bonsai = 60 - 100 + cm Daiki = carrot Eda zashi = prune of branches Fu = Fukinagashi = wind lashed Fuku = Furi = spread Fuyodo = booklet Gasane = pile up it on the other one Gashira – lion’s mane, lion’s head Gasumi or Kasumi = Gobo ne = pen carrot Gohon yose = 5 trees Gokan = 5 tribes Goma = Goro tsuchi = grove ground Goshiki – multicoloured Ha zashi = Hagaromo = Japanese angel Haki Homi = brushed in Haku = white Hamizu = thumb sprinkle Han kengai = halfly/semi-cascade Hanazono nishiki = flower garden Hariganekate = wiring Harusame = spring rain Henge = ghost or apparition Higasu = parasol Hige ne = Hime = dwarf, princess Hokidachi = brush Honbachi = real bonsai pot (scale) Hoshi = star Hoso = slim Ichi = one Ikada buki = tortle back Inaba = "rice plantlike leaf" Inazuma = thunder Ishitsuki = rock clasping Ito = fine wires or wire Iwato = rock Jin = dead part of a plant Kabudachi = several tribes Kaede = maple Kaerude = (Kaeru = frog, = the hand) Kagami = mirror Kagero = very fine Kaku – pillar, tower Kakure = shade or protection Kamagata = falcate Kanuma tsuchi = lift, sandy clay Kara = old Chinese Karaori = Kengai = cascade Keto tsuchi = peat Kinran = Kinshi = Kiri = cut Ko – deep (color), child Kocho = butterfly kocho nishiki = Variegated butterfly Kocho no mai = dancing butterfly Komachi = beautiful little girl, dwarf Kotate mochi = 15 - 30 cm Koto = old harp Koto ito komachi = Koto no ito = Kotohime = Princess with old harp Kujaku = peacock Kumo no su = spider web Kuro tsuchi = black pot ground Kuropoka = light, dark pot ground Kuru jishi = crazy lion, imaginary Kuzure = irregular Kyo = Kyohime = Kyohon yose = 9 trees Kyukan = 9 tribes Mai = dancing Mame = 7.5 - 15 cm Maruba = round thumb Masu = goblet to drink sake Mejishi = mythical lioness Mekiri = Misho = sow seeds Miyama = high mount Miyasama kaede = princes esdoorn, a plant of these type grew in prince Fushina's garden Momiji : Maple Moyogi = informal right Mummy = does where one has sense in, randomly Mure hibari = Nanahon yose = 7 trees Nanakan = 7 tribes Ne = roots Ne tsuranari = Ne zashi = Nebari = visible roots Negari (Neagari) = exposed roots Nejikan = twisted Nishiki – brocade (variegated, rough) Nishiki or Nishiki sho = harsh bast, such as a pine (botanic) No = of, from Normura = beautiful Nuresagi = O jishi = mythical lion O kagami = mirror ogon = gold Ogon sarasa = gold calico substance Oridono nishiki = Rin = ring Ryu = dragon Ryuzu = dragon head decoration Sabamiki = Saikei = landscape Saku = Samidare = Samon yose = 3 trees Sango = coral Sangokaku = Coral tower Sankan = 3 tribes Saotome = rise planting little girl Sarasa = Sashi ho = plant Sashiki = planting a plant sawa = Sazanami = small source Schichi = Seven or numerous Sei = green Seiryu = green dragon Seishi = shaping Sekijoju = Sekka = Sentai = Shakan = inclined Shari = Sharimiki = dead wood Shidare = cascade, hanging Shigarami = Shigitatsu = Shigure = rain Shigure bato = late autumn rain Shigure zono = coloured rain Shime = a decoration which is used on new year day Shime no uchi = on new year day Shimo = search Shin – new, improved Shin = deeply Shinme zashi = prune young scheuten Shinonome = "day break" and is also the name of a district. Shira = white Shishi = legendary lion Shishigashira = lion head or lion name (mythical lion) Shito = 0 - 7.5 cm Shojo or Syojo = monkey with red face, usually in Japanese drama Soju = Sokan = 2 tribes Suiban = flat scale Sunago = sand Tai – thick, big Taki – waterfall Takozukuri = octopus Tama = ball Tamshime = jewel or princes Tana = Tanabata = festival of the ASTRE (7 July) Tankan = 1 tribe Tekishin = prune of young branches Tenjingawa suna = river sand Toriki = air layer Toyama = name of a place Tsuchi = ground Tsuchigumo = spider on the ground Tsugiki = graft Tsukubane = mount back of Tsukubo Tsuma = nail Tsuma beni = red nail Ubu = naïve or virginal Uchi = Uki – drift, float Ukigumo = floating clouds Ukon – yellow Utsusemi = skin of a grasshopper Wabito = Lonely Man Waka momiji = red branch Washi no o = tail of an eagle Yagi = coral type Yama = mount Yamadori = collect suitable plants from nature Yatsubusa – dwarf, compact Yezo nishiki = Yezo, northern island of Japan Yose-ue = group Yose-ue = more than 9 trees Yu = evening Yubae = evening glow Yugure = evening cloud Yuki = snow
Re: Beni Schichihenge I hope to have a chance to look through the list of terms that Andre posted and put my two-cents' worth in, but in the meantime here is an on-line bonsai glossary that provides some of the missing translations: http://home.euphonynet.be/hv66bonsai/hv66bonsai-uk/dictionary-uk.html
Re: Beni Schichihenge Jim, Very cool. Stick around and jump in any time you like. There's only a couple of hundred more that I'm interested in the pronunciation of. So, we all probably say Beni Hanna the wrong way too, huh? Bryan
Re: Beni Schichihenge I would like to thank everyone who replied to my posting. I have printed all the info. Great to keep as a reference. Thanks so much! Sunkeeper
