We have many options to create artwork with Failure is the Mother of Success characters on a wall scroll or portrait.
1. Failure is the Mother of Success
2. Any success can not compensate for failure in the home
4. Bounce Back / Stage a Comeback
5. You May Learn from Victory, You Will Learn from Failure
6. Let Us Try
7. Experience is the Mother of Wisdom
10. Failure is the Origin of Success
11. Learn From Your Predecessors
12. You May Learn from Victory, You Will Learn from Failure
13. No arrogance in victory, No despair in defeat
14. Do not fear being slow, fear standing still
15. Success
16. Failure is a Stepping Stone to Success
18. Each Time You Stumble and Fall, You Gain Experience and Wisdom
19. Wolf
失败是成功之母 is a Chinese and Korean proverb that means “Every failure that you experience is a chance to learn from it and find success.”
Knowing what does not work is just as important as finding out what does work.
See Also: Experience is the Mother of Wisdom
失敗は成功の母 is a Japanese proverb that means exactly what you think.
Every failure that you experience is a chance to learn from it and find success.
Knowing what does not work is just as important as finding out what does work.
Note: This is the Japanese version of an ancient Chinese proverb.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
See Also: Experience is the Mother of Wisdom
The school of hard knocks
挨一拳得一招挨十拳變諸葛 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: Receive one blow, [and one] learns a lesson; Receive ten blows, [and one] becomes a great Zhuge [Liang].
You must first understand that a man named Zhuge Liang was one of the great strategists and philosophers in Chinese history. He's known as a man of great wisdom.
Figuratively, this phrase means:
One can learn much from failure or “hard knocks.”
東山再起 is a Chinese proverb that means “make a comeback” or “resuming after a failure.”
It's sometimes used in terms of losing a job and then getting it back. However, it applies to any kind of comeback after difficulty.
The literal meaning of this Chinese idiom is, “[The] Eastern Mountain Again [will] Rise.”
百胜难虑敌三折乃良医 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: [Even a general who has won a] hundred victories [may be] hard put to see through the enemy's [strategy], [but one who has] broken [his] arm three [times] [will] be a good doctor.
Figuratively, this means: One cannot always depend on past successes to guarantee future success but one can always learn from lessons drawn from failure.
See Also: Failure - Mother of Success | Experience - Mother of Success | Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8 | Hard Knocks
Essayons
嘗試 is a close match for the English phrase “let us try” or the French word “Essayons.”
Essayons the motto of Combat Engineers in the U.S. Army.
This word can also be translated as “to try” or “to attempt.”
Even if you're not a Combat Engineer, this word should inspire you to attempt to accomplish difficult things. If you don't try, you are certain to fail; if you do try, at least there is a chance of success.
The worst thing is not failure, the worst thing is not trying at all.
It's been said that wisdom comes from good judgment, and good judgment comes from experience, while experience comes from a series of times when you used bad judgment.
經驗是智慧之母 is a Chinese proverb that makes the simplest connection between experience and wisdom.
See Also: Failure is the Mother of Success | Wisdom | Learn From Wisdom
失敗並非一種選擇 is probably the best way to say, “Failure is not an option,” in Chinese.
Just don't forget that some ancient Chinese proverbs suggest that failure is a learning opportunity that leads to success or innovation. So don't plan to fail but failure is only a waste if nothing is learned from the failure.
See Also: Failure is a Stepping Stone to Success | Failure is the Mother of Success
This Japanese proverb reads, “failure/mistake/blunder/defeat is the origin of success.”
It suggests that failures or defeats are a necessary part of success.
失敗は成功の元 is often translated as “Failure is a stepping stone to success.”
Note: There are a few similar variations of this idiom in Japanese.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
See Also: Failure is a Stepping Stone to Success
When the cart in front overturns, be cautious with your own
前車之覆后車之鑒 is a Chinese proverb that suggests looking at the circumstances and toils of those you proceeded before you and learning from their experience.
This more literally means “the cart in front overturns, a warning to the following cart.”
This is figuratively translated as “draw a lesson from the failure of one's predecessor,” “learn from past mistakes,” or compared to the English idiom, “once bitten twice shy.”
Other more-direct translations:
Make the overturning of the chariot in front a warning for the chariot behind.
Learn caution through an unpleasant experience.
The wrecked coach in front should be a warning.
The overturned cart in front serves as a warning to the carts behind.
You may learn when everything goes right but the lessons learned when everything goes wrong are more vivid and lead to long-lasting wisdom.
Another way to look at this: One cannot always depend on past successes to guarantee future success but one can always learn from lessons drawn from failure.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
This Chinese and Japanese word for “success” is often used to refer to “career success” but is also used for other successes in life.
It matches the western dictionary definition of “The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted.” And It's also used in this old Chinese proverb: which means Failure is the Mother of Success.
Sometimes this word is translated as prosperity, but success, succeed, or successfully are more correct definitions.
See Also: Prosperity
This Japanese proverb literally reads, “failures/mistakes/blunders are the yeast-starter/yeast-mash of success.”
Basically, it suggests that failures are a necessary part of success; Just as bread or beer requires yeast to successfully rise or brew/ferment.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
敢て is a Japanese word that can mean a few things related to the idea of taking up a challenge.
It can be defined as daring (to do something), venturing (often overcoming reluctance), or taking action (even in the face of probable failure). It can also be to take upon oneself or take up a challenge.
吃一塹長一智 is a Chinese proverb that means “Fall into a moat, and you will gain wisdom from the experience.”
It really suggests that the failures, troubles, frustrations, and setbacks that you encounter in your life are actually helping you to find wisdom. Some would also translate this proverb as “Learn from your mistakes” or “Learn from your experience.”
If you are studying Chinese, you will recognize the first character as “eat,” but in this case, it means to “experience” (as used in this proverb, it is suggesting that you have fallen into a moat and/or had a hard time crossing it).
Translated character by character, this whole proverb is, “Experience one moat, gain one wisdom/knowledge.”
Note: This can be pronounced in Korean, but it's not a commonly used phrase.
狼 is the character used to represent the elusive animal known as the wolf in both Chinese and Japanese.
If you are a fan of the wolf or the wolf means something special to you, this could make a great addition to your wall.
Do keep in mind, that much like our perception of wolves in the history of western culture, eastern cultures do not have a very positive view of wolves (save the scientific community and animal lovers). The wolf is clearly an animal that is misunderstood or feared the world over.
狼 is seldom used alone in Korean Hanja but is used in a compound word that means utter failure (as in a wolf getting into your chicken pen - or an otherwise ferocious failure). Not a good choice if your audience is Korean.
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Failure is the Mother of Success | 失敗是成功之母 失败是成功之母 | shī bài shì chéng gōng zhī mǔ shi1 bai4 shi4 cheng2 gong1 zhi1 mu3 shi bai shi cheng gong zhi mu shibaishichenggongzhimu | shih pai shih ch`eng kung chih mu shih pai shih cheng kung chih mu |
|
Failure is the Mother of Success | 失敗は成功の母 | shippai wa seikou no haha shippaiwaseikounohaha shipai wa seiko no haha | ||
Any success can not compensate for failure in the home | 所有的成功都無法補償家庭的失敗 所有的成功都无法补偿家庭的失败 | suǒ yǒu de chéng gōng dōu wú fǎ bǔ cháng jiā tíng de shī bài suo3 you3 de cheng2 gong1 dou1 wu2 fa3 bu3 chang2 jia1 ting2 de shi1 bai4 suo you de cheng gong dou wu fa bu chang jia ting de shi bai | so yu te ch`eng kung tou wu fa pu ch`ang chia t`ing te shih pai so yu te cheng kung tou wu fa pu chang chia ting te shih pai |
|
Wisdom from Hard Knocks | 挨一拳得一招挨十拳變諸葛 挨一拳得一招挨十拳变诸葛 | ái yī quán dé yī zhāo ái shí quán biàn zhū gě ai2 yi1 quan2 de2 yi1 zhao1 ai2 shi2 quan2 bian4 zhu1 ge3 ai yi quan de yi zhao ai shi quan bian zhu ge | ai i ch`üan te i chao ai shih ch`üan pien chu ko ai i chüan te i chao ai shih chüan pien chu ko |
|
Bounce Back Stage a Comeback | 東山再起 东山再起 | dōng shān zài qǐ dong1 shan1 zai4 qi3 dong shan zai qi dongshanzaiqi | tung shan tsai ch`i tungshantsaichi tung shan tsai chi |
|
You May Learn from Victory, You Will Learn from Failure | 百勝難慮敵三折乃良醫 百胜难虑敌三折乃良医 | bǎi shèng nán lǜ dí sān zhé nǎi liáng yī bai3 sheng4 nan2 lv4 di2 san1 zhe2 nai3 liang2 yi1 bai sheng nan lv di san zhe nai liang yi | pai sheng nan lü ti san che nai liang i | |
Let Us Try | 嘗試 尝试 | cháng shì chang2 shi4 chang shi changshi | ch`ang shih changshih chang shih |
|
Experience is the Mother of Wisdom | 經驗是智慧之母 经验是智慧之母 | jīng yàn shì zhì huì zhī mǔ jing1 yan4 shi4 zhi4 hui4 zhi1 mu3 jing yan shi zhi hui zhi mu jingyanshizhihuizhimu | ching yen shih chih hui chih mu | |
Failure in Not an Option | 失敗並非一種選擇 失败并非一种选择 | shī bài bìng fēi yì zhǒng xuǎn zé shi1 bai4 bing4 fei1 yi4 zhong3 xuan3 ze2 shi bai bing fei yi zhong xuan ze | shih pai ping fei i chung hsüan tse | |
Failure is Not an Option | 失敗は許されません | shippai wa yurusa remasearimasen shipai wa yurusa remasearimasen | ||
Failure is the Origin of Success | 失敗は成功の元 | shippai wa seikou no moto shippaiwaseikounomoto shipai wa seiko no moto | ||
Learn From Your Predecessors | 前車之覆后車之鑒 前车之覆后车之鉴 | qián chē zhī fù hòu chē zhī jiàn qian2 che1 zhi1 fu4 hou4 che1 zhi1 jian4 qian che zhi fu hou che zhi jian | ch`ien ch`e chih fu hou ch`e chih chien chien che chih fu hou che chih chien |
|
You May Learn from Victory, You Will Learn from Failure | 勝って得るものも有れば負けて得るものも有る | katte erumono mo areba makete erumono mo aru | ||
No arrogance in victory, No despair in defeat | 勝不驕敗不餒 胜不骄败不馁 | shèng bù jiāo bài bù něi sheng4 bu4 jiao1 bai4 bu4 nei3 sheng bu jiao bai bu nei shengbujiaobaibunei | sheng pu chiao pai pu nei shengpuchiaopaipunei |
|
Do not fear being slow, fear standing still | 不怕慢就怕站 | bú pà màn jiù pà zhàn bu2 pa4 man4 jiu4 pa4 zhan4 bu pa man jiu pa zhan bupamanjiupazhan | pu p`a man chiu p`a chan pupamanchiupachan pu pa man chiu pa chan |
|
Success | 成功 | seikou / seiko | chéng gōng cheng2 gong1 cheng gong chenggong | ch`eng kung chengkung cheng kung |
Failure is a Stepping Stone to Success | 失敗は成功のもと | sittpai wa seikou no moto sittpaiwaseikounomoto sittpai wa seiko no moto | ||
Take Up a Challenge | 敢て | aete | ||
Each Time You Stumble and Fall, You Gain Experience and Wisdom | 吃一塹長一智 吃一堑长一智 | chī yí qiàn, zhǎng yí zhì chi1 yi2 qian4 zhang3 yi2 zhi4 chi yi qian zhang yi zhi chiyiqianzhangyizhi | ch`ih i ch`ien chang i chih chihichienchangichih chih i chien chang i chih |
|
Wolf | 狼 | okami | láng / lang2 / lang | |
In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line. In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese. |
All of our calligraphy wall scrolls are handmade.
When the calligrapher finishes creating your artwork, it is taken to my art mounting workshop in Beijing where a wall scroll is made by hand from a combination of silk, rice paper, and wood.
After we create your wall scroll, it takes at least two weeks for air mail delivery from Beijing to you.
Allow a few weeks for delivery. Rush service speeds it up by a week or two for $10!
When you select your calligraphy, you'll be taken to another page where you can choose various custom options.
The wall scroll that Sandy is holding in this picture is a "large size"
single-character wall scroll.
We also offer custom wall scrolls in small, medium, and an even-larger jumbo size.
Professional calligraphers are getting to be hard to find these days.
Instead of drawing characters by hand, the new generation in China merely type roman letters into their computer keyboards and pick the character that they want from a list that pops up.
There is some fear that true Chinese calligraphy may become a lost art in the coming years. Many art institutes in China are now promoting calligraphy programs in hopes of keeping this unique form
of art alive.
Even with the teachings of a top-ranked calligrapher in China, my calligraphy will never be good enough to sell. I will leave that to the experts.
The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over 6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt such a feat.