Ancient Japanese Writing - Old Scroll #1

[Marino F]

Good Day Everyone...I recently purchased a few scrolls from a friend,  whos collector friend passed away sometime ago...and he's helping the widow pass along some of her late husbands collection.

 

My Google translate studies hold back the laughter...seem to have found means...but I'm sure the scroll is meant to say it in a more poetic way...any assistance would be appreciated...

 

日 ＝ day, sun　
夕 ＝ evening

四
十 ＝ 40 years
年

五
十＝ 57th
七
回

涎 ＝ saliva 
辰 ＝ dragon
口 ＝ mouth
占 ＝ fortune-telling



田 ＝ Tanaka (family name)
中

光 ＝ Mitsuo? (first name) – Light Student
生



春 ＝ spring, new year
帆 ＝ sail
書 ＝ book, calligraphy

涎
辰 ＝ saliva,dragon,mouth fortune-telling 
口
占

[SteveM]

You got a few right. Many, or most of these kanji are read together as compound words, so 日夕 go together to form one word; nisseki (day and night, or all night and day). 

 

Unfortunately most of the kanji following that opening word are far to reduced for me to make any sense of them. You got "40 years" right, as well as 57th. The small writing in the bottom left of the scroll would be a dedication and the name of the person who wrote the scroll. So it would be something like a scroll given to a teacher from the 57th reunion of a class. I'm wondering if it isn't addressed to a Tanaka-sensei (田中先生)? The rest is too abridged for me. 

 

Edit: Also note that it is not actually ancient writing. It is just a cursive form of calligraphy - its used even today in calligraphy and wherever there is a need for a stylistic cursive text. 

[Marino F]

Thanks for your input Steve,