Tatsu Tori Ato wo Nigosazu (立つ鳥跡を濁さず – It Is an Ill Bird that Fouls Its Own Nest)
Tatsu Tori Ato wo Nigosazu
立つ鳥跡を濁さず
Have you ever moved or changed your job?
引っ越しや転勤をしたことはありますか？
If so, you probably cleaned up your room or office.
Of course, it is better and should be so to clean up your surroundings before you leave and move to a new place.
Of course, it is better and should be so to clean up your surroundings before you leave and move to a new place.
その際、自分の使っていた部屋や机は、きっと綺麗に片付けたことと思います。
This teaching can be expressed as tatsu tori ato wo nigosazu (立つ鳥跡を濁さず) in Japanese.
このように、立ち去るときは後始末をしてから去ったほうが、美しくてよいことだとされています。
Since tatsu (立つ) means “to fly off,” tori (鳥) means “bird,” ato (跡) means “trace,” and nigosazu (濁さず) means “don’t muddy,” the literal meaning of tatsu tori ato wo nigosazu is “a bird that flies off does not muddy the trace (water surface).”
この教えを、日本語では「立つ鳥跡を濁さず」ということわざで表すことがあります。
This saying came from the fact that waterfowls fly off beautifully while keeping the water surface from becoming muddy.
「立つ」は「飛び立つ」、「鳥」は “bird”、「跡」は “trace”、「濁さず」は “don’t muddy” を意味するので、「立つ鳥跡を濁さず」の文字どおりの意味は “a bird that flies off does not muddy the trace (water surface)” となります。
