Reading おみくじ or fortune slips

The Poem on the top is from the Kokin Wakashu

み吉野の山の白雪つもるらしふるさと寒くなりまさるなり

The meaning is: There must be white on Yoshino’s mountain. The coldness in the capital / hometown (Nara) is increasing.

…that sounds ominous.

Yes, I am not 100% sure why it’s on 大吉

I’ma have a stab at this in the morning, since it’s after midnight, but I did just want to note that the poem on the second omikuji is explained by the text directly underneath.

Ok, here’s my take on the first slip. This one’s written much more clearly than the other, but there’s some pretty weird furigana running down the left-hand side…

此のみくじにあふ人は、立身出世する運にむかひたり。されど余りきだてりっぱにして、人におごる時は家をみだす恐あり。万事正直にして神をうやまひ、国家の為をなさんと心がくべし。大人君子の志あらば思ひの外の幸福を得る。
For the person who has selected this fortune slip, your fortune is to be successful in life. Even so, don’t treat this as something praiseworthy, or when you act proud towards a person, there is a fear your house will be thrown into disorder. Be honest towards the kami in everything, if you do things for the same of the state, your heart will (???). Have the ambition to be an adult of high virtue, and you will obtain happiness from outside (emotion??).

〇願望、待人、争ひ事、失物、売買、病気、家造、移居、婚礼、旅行、奉公等万神ながらにて大に吉
Wishes, the person you await, conflicts, lost items, buying and selling, illness, constructing a house, moving house, marriage, travel… aaand this I got no idea. Something something the great many kami while very luck something?

And here’s my attempt at the second slip. It’s very very loose in some places, especially where the language is more ritualised. Honestly, in some places I’m just plain guessing…

洗出経年否(としをふるやいなやあらいいだして)
洗うとは悪きを改むるなり としをふるとは そのこうをつむなり
Wash away the mistakes you’ve made and be renewed, together with the accumulated experiences over the year.

光華得再清(こうかふたたびきよきことをえる)
ふたたび きよきは あらい出したる こうのあらわるゝという也
That way you will again obtain a clear shine.

所求終吉利(もとむるところついにきちり)
願う事皆よきことに ならうぞとなり まえのこうによるがゆえ也
Let all of your wishes proceed in a good direction, for the sake of your accumulated experiences.

重日照前程(じゅうじつぜんていをてらす)
日を重ねるにしたがい行先きてりかがやき ようすよくなるべし
As the days pass, your fortunes will rise, and you will live shining brilliantly.

(Honestly, can people actually read this kind of stuff? Can you imagine writing English in such a compressed manner? Anyway, moving on. Let’s see if I can make more sense of the remaining text.)

▼このみくじにあたる人は、寒つきて春をむかうるがごとし、心立よくつとめはげめば、おのづから善道にいたるべし。
For the person who has selected this fortune slip, the cold is ending and spring is coming, so if you strive at your responsibilities with good disposition, you will find the path of virtue.

▼病人本ぷくすべし、ただしゆだんすれば命あらうからん
The sick person shall be completely cured, but if they are negligent, their life will be… washed??

▼そしようごと勝とも、若し我意を張らばのちに災難あるべし
You will win your battles, but if you try to take too much on yourself, it will cause disasters later.

▼ふしんごとよろづよし
Construction work will be successful.

▼えんだんは東か西南に近き方なほよし
Your marriage proposal will be in an easterly or south-westerly direction (???)

▼買いもの買いとりてよし、うりもの急ぐべからず
If you want to buy, you should buy, but don’t sell in haste.

▼待人おそし急に来るともよろこびあらず
The person you await will suddenly come later, but it won’t be a pleasure (boy, that’s ominous)

▼職は技術か工人たるべし
You should look for employment in the arts or crafting industries.

▼たびだちよし先方にてばんじひかえ目たるべし
Travel is good, but you should be perfectly humble at your destination

▼ただつくせ誠の心通じなば堅き岩をもつらぬかん
In general, be true to your heart, and you will even be able to pierce solid rock.

Every time I tried googling one of the words I was particularly stuck on, result number one on the list would be "hey, I got this on an omikuji - what does it say?'. Actually, this page has the text of your omikuji exactly. This one has the, uh, “poem” at the top.

Whew. I think I need a lie-down after that. Plus, Discord tried to log me out in the middle, which almost gave me a heart attack.

For those that went to Japan for traveling, have you tried 100¥ for おみくじ…

Please help me translate… A native said this is good.

第二十一番 吉

このみくじにあうに人は寒さも終り

春を迎えるように

悪を改め善に進む心で

花咲く頃近く

日を重ねるに従い

輝きが増してくる

もし悪を改めなければ

かえって大凶となる

  • 病気:頂上を超えたのでやがて快復する
  • 恋愛:縁談 成就する
  • 待人:やがて来る
  • 訴訟:叶う
  • 失物:間もなく出る
  • 売買:ともに正しければよし慾深かければ損あり
  • 建築:移転 吉日を選び周辺を願慮すればよし
  • 旅行:慎しみあればよし
  • 金運:やがて春来る
  • 受験:多年の苦労こ、に実る

NB: WaniKani Commu isn’t Furigana-enabled yet?

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Number 21: Good luck

For the person who has selected this fortune slip, even the cold will end.
So that you can welcome the spring,
You should advance your formerly wicked heart/mind towards good.
The time for flowers to bloom is near,
In accordance with the passing of days.
Still more radiance is coming.
If, however, you do not change your wicked ways,
Your luck will change to terrible.

(Whew. This sounds more like judgement on Nineveh than it does like a fortune. Anyway, moving on…)

Illness: You’ve passed the peak, so you should recover soon.
Love: Fulfil your marriage proposal.
The person you await: They will come soon
Litigation: It will be realised
Lost objects: They’ll appear before too long.
Trading: You should be correct together; if your avarice deepens, you will face loss.
Construction: Choose a lucky day for moving house; you should carefully consider your wishes for the area
Travel: You should use self-control
Economic fortunes: Spring will come soon
Exams: Your many years of hard labour will bear fruit.

(I… think I’ve slightly misunderstood the 売買 one…)

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I collected omikuji during a year in japan so I have around 30 lying around. I can take some pictures of them later😂

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I regret not getting any fortune slips when I was there in Dec/Jan.

Thank you for the vocab! It’ll be useful for when I go again.

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