Sunday, November 23, 2014

Unable to translate, yet I still bought it.



This was how it was displayed  on the floor of the resale shop. Turns out it was not right side up



This large, sturdy, well-made framed work of art in stylized calligraphy was 50% off of its original price at the re-sale shop. Beautiful! Irresistible! But I could not read nor understand it. The employees at the shop were just as perplexed. One suggested that I take a phone picture and do some research first. When I got home, son's phone app was unable to translate it. He said to buy the mysterious framed-art anyway, and he'll ask one of his college Profs for help if need be. If it turned out to be a language that said something nasty, or was an homage to an idol, I would just destroy it and not feel wasteful since it was an inexpensive purchase.

 My first hopeful guess at the shop was that it was in Hebrew saying something biblical and meaningful (wouldn't that be great?!). Alas, perusing Wikipedia told me that it was not in Hebrew! It was my second guess as to the language that turned out to be correct. I had to wait two more days to show my phone picture to our friend who was a native from that country. He read the saying easily, and loosely translated it for me. Are YOU  smarter than I am and know in one glance what language this is, and what it says?



NOPE,  it's not read this way either.


Nor this way...



Aaah, finally ... NOW, it's right side up and readable!

My friend said it was a quote of 3 John 1:2 in Korean.
  Here is the verse in the authorized KJV; the desire that is in every Christian's heart  --

 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper
 and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.