Eastern Jin dynasty (of China; 317-420 CE); Eastern Chin dynasty
Western Jin dynasty (of China; 265-317 CE); Western Chin dynasty
Song dynasty (China, 960-1279); Sung dynasty; Liu Song dynasty (China, 420-479); Liu Sung dynasty; Song (ancient Chinese state, 11th century-286 BCE); Sung
Chen (ancient Chinese state, approx. 1045-479 BCE); Ch'en; Chen dynasty (China, 557-589 BCE); Ch'en dynasty
low (rank, degree, value, content, quality, etc.); low (position); close to the ground; short (height); deep (voice); in a low key
Southern Court (of Japan; 1336-1392); Southern Dynasty; Southern Dynasties (of China; 420-589)
focusing on only the good points or strong points; incorporating the benefits (while ignoring the drawbacks); picking the best of both (everything); cherry-picking (e.g. information)
printed style (of writing Chinese characters); square style; block style; standard style
semi-cursive style (of writing Chinese characters); running style
highly cursive style (of writing Chinese characters); grass style
typeface; style of handwriting; calligraphic style
famous or accomplished calligrapher
always; without exception; necessarily; certainly; without fail; positively
poetry and prose; literature; literary works
type picking; anthology; selection of literary works
Sei Shonagon (Poet of the Heian period, included in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu)
a long time (since the last time); first in a long time
Sui dynasty (China, 581-618)
Shōtoku Taishi (574CE-627CE); Prince Shōtoku
Japan's envoy to Sui dynasty China
criminal, administrative and civil codes (forming the basis of ancient East Asian law; orig. Chinese); legal codes of the Nara and Heian eras based on Chinese models
(navigable) canal; waterway
in spite of; nevertheless; although; despite; no matter the; regardless of
Emperor Yang of Sui (569-618, r. 604-618); second emperor of the Sui Dynasty
Goguryeo (ancient Korean kingdom; 37 BCE-668 CE); Koguryo
life; life force; lifetime; lifespan; most important thing; foundation
ground; crust (earth); foundation (building, etc.); base; constituency; power base
fierce; intense; severe; violent; strong; vehement
fiend for work; workaholic; career-minded person
fat; tallow; lard; grease
to get on (train, plane, bus, ship, etc.); to get in; to get on (e.g. a footstool); to step on; to reach; to go over; to follow
to yearn for; to long for; to follow (someone); to idolize (for virtue, learning, status, etc.)
to be stormy; to be rough; to be rough (of skin); to be chapped; to be ruined; to fall into ruin
revamping; reshaping; rearranging; reorganizing
remarkable; striking; brilliant; splendid; spectacular; wonderful
equal-field system (of ancient China)
rice tax (ritsuryo system); rice levy; tax on rice fields; annual tribute; annual tax
pitch; tone; time; tempo; mood; tendency