弘法筆を選ばず

Japanese

Kanji in this term
弘	法	筆	選
こう Jinmeiyō	ほう > ぼう Grade: 4	ふで Grade: 3	えら Grade: 4
kan'on	goon	kun'yomi

Etymology

Phrase consisting of 弘法 (Kōbō), the first part of the posthumous name of Kūkai, an important Buddhist monk and one of three famous Heian period calligraphers + 筆 (fude, “writing brush; writing with a brush”) + を (o, accusative case particle) + 選ばず (erabazu, the negative continuative of verb 選ぶ erabu, “to choose”). Literally “Kōbō Daishi never chooses his calligraphy brush”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ko̞ːbo̞ː ɸɯ̟de̞ o̞ e̞ɾa̠ba̠zɨ]

Proverb

弘(こう)法(ぼう)筆(ふで)を選(えら)ばず • (kōbō fude o erabazu) 

1. A good workman never blames his tools.

See also

• 弘法(こうぼう)にも筆(ふで)の誤(あやま)り (kōbō ni mo fude no ayamari)