# 黒曜石



## Cereth

Hello I was just wondering if 黒曜石 means obsidian (the black and bright stone).. 
Here is the context, I saw it in a letter and I thought it was a very peculiar phrase:
君は私の黒曜石 の 目侍です

Could the translation be:
you are my obsidian eyes samurai?

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu


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## DraculaOnIce

Yeah 黒曜石 means obsidian, but I think that a better translation for that sentence would be.

君は私の黒曜石の目です。or 侍、君は私の黒曜石の目です。


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## s_a_n_t_i

Yes, DraculaOnIce is right.
The meaning was OK, but the order of the sentence was incorrect.
 侍、君は私の黒曜石の目です。


¿Me podrías comentar algo más acerca de esta piedra, así termino de entender la metáfora?

Gracias,
Santi.


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## pink dragon

Hi, I'm Japanese.  
I don' think 君は私の黒曜石 の 目侍です was written by Japanese.
It's a strange Japanese sentence.
侍、君は私の黒曜石 の 目です is also strange.
Maybe the writer wanted to say "Your eyes are like obsideian (because they are black and beautiful)".
But 黒曜石 is not a common Japanese word and we don't use it in our daily conversations.
"Tobi iro no hitomi" could be used instead, as a compliment for Japanese eyes.
Also, we don't call a samurai "Samurai", even if a samurai was in front of you!

I hope that helps.


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## Flaminius

Sorry Cereth, the Japanese phrase is not very grammatical.  Supposing you want to say, "my obsidian-eyed samurai", I present my translation below:
黒曜石の目をした私のお侍さん
kokuyōseki-no me-o shita watashino o-samurai-san

Could you tell me if I have answered your question?

Flam


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## Cereth

Thank you all for answering!!
I don´t know whether a Japanese wrote that sentence or not, I suppose not...hahaha... a friend of mine asked me for advice...and I assume that it was intended to mean: "my obsidian-eyed samurai" -like Flam says- or even "your eyes are like obsidian" like Pink dragon suggests...by the way is better saying hitomi instead of me?

You have answered my question again Flam, Thank you so much!
When I saw the kanji for obsidian for the first time I was shocked...I had not idea that someone could use that word because is not very popular..but I guess the black and beautiful color of the kokuyouseki is a perfect metaphor for a beauty pair of japanese dark eyes..

hahaha I am always so corny!!..

Espero que este cursi texto te haya ayudado a entender la metáfora santi!! La obsidiana es una piedra..generalmente de color negro pero también hay en otros colores, supongo que el autor/autora de esta frase utilizó el equivalente a "tus ojos son como dos esmeraldas" tan comúnmente dirigido a las personas d eojos verdes y utilizó la obsidiana en su metáfora.


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## Hiro Sasaki

Cereth san, 


The samurai is a warrior. We do not admire the beautiful eyes of a man,
using the name of precious stone,  less often those of a warrior. 

Therefore, the sentence is really impossible. In spanish language also,
you would say " lips of ruby", "teeth of pearl ", only for women.

Hiro Sasaki


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## gaer

Hiro Sasaki said:


> Cereth san,
> 
> 
> The samurai is a warrior. We do not admire the beautiful eyes of a man,
> using the name of precious stone, less often those of a warrior.
> 
> Therefore, the sentence is really impossible. In spanish language also,
> you would say " lips of ruby", "teeth of pearl ", only for women.
> 
> Hiro Sasaki


Sasaki san,

The English definition of "obsidian" does not even describe a color. Using this word for "eyes" is very rare in English. So to me it is unusual.

We describe eyes as slate-gray/grey, blue, brown, black (which does not really exist), hazel, violet, etc.

Here is my question: suppose for a moment that someone in love with a warrior (Japanese) described the eyes of her "lover". What would be possible? Supposing, for instance, she were saying something intimate to him. Can you (or others) think of a more appropriate word and a more idiomatic sentence?

Gaer


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## gaer

pink dragon said:


> Hi, I'm Japanese.
> I don' think 君は私の黒曜石 の 目侍です was written by Japanese.
> It's a strange Japanese sentence.
> 侍、君は私の黒曜石 の 目です is also strange.
> Maybe the writer wanted to say "Your eyes are like obsideian (because they are black and beautiful)".
> But 黒曜石 is not a common Japanese word and we don't use it in our daily conversations.


We don't use "obsidian" in this manner either! We would say something like this:

You eyes are black as midnight, black as coal, black as night, etc.

Even better: raven-black eyes. This is very common.

I am fascinated by "black eyes" because they are actually very dark brown, I believe. I don't believe anything but the pupil is actually black.


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## gaer

pink dragon said:


> Hi, I'm Japanese.
> I don' think 君は私の黒曜石 の 目侍です was written by Japanese.
> It's a strange Japanese sentence.
> 侍、君は私の黒曜石 の 目です is also strange.
> Maybe the writer wanted to say "Your eyes are like obsideian (because they are black and beautiful)".
> But 黒曜石 is not a common Japanese word and we don't use it in our daily conversations.
> "Tobi iro no hitomi" could be used instead, as a compliment for Japanese eyes.
> Also, we don't call a samurai "Samurai", even if a samurai was in front of you!
> 
> I hope that helps.


I would picke "raven-black eyes" or something like that. Obsidian has to do with vulcanized glass, and I don't know if all such glass is even the same color!

Gaer


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## Hiro Sasaki

Gaer san,

Even if some girl is in love with a samurai. 黒曜石 is a precious stone with
which many Japanese are not familiar. I have never heard on T.V. shows
some praise of beautiful eyes using the name of any precious stone.


黒い瞳　（　Kuroi Hitomi ) mean "black beautiful eyes", but used for a woman.

We don't have much metaphors　to describe the beauty of the parts of 
human body.

からすの濡羽色（　からすのぬればいろ　）　beautiful black hair. ( black and wet 
feather of the crow ). I don't know other metaphors to describe the beauty of the parts of human body. 

Hiro Sasaki


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## Hiro Sasaki

gaer said:


> I would picke "raven-black eyes" or something like that. Obsidian has to do with vulcanized glass, and I don't know if all such glass is even the same color!
> 
> Gaer


 We say "raven-black " hair ". But, many Japanese women 
change the color of their hair. 

Hiro sasaki


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## gaer

Hiro Sasaki said:


> We say "raven-black " hair ". But, many Japanese women
> change the color of their hair.
> 
> Hiro sasaki


I am mostly curious about こくようせき、黒曜石。One meaning of 曜 is dazzling, and the rest is clear. Black stone. So I GUESS "obsidian" is black. I could not find that definition in English, which is strange. Perhaps vulcanized rock IS black in color, always. If so, I just learned something about English from learning a new Japanese word.

Gaer


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## Flaminius

Gary,
I think it is safe to say obsidian is usually a black and glittering stone. The Wikipedia article calls it "naturally occurring" *glass*.

Hiro,
I opine that the addressee of the original sentence is not a _samurai_ by profession. It is just a metaphor. In that case, we are pretty safe from committing insult by praising the beauteous eyes of a worrior.

Besides, if you can replace black hair of girls with wet feathers of カラス (crow), can I please be allowed to use ガラス (glass) instead of my eyes?   
I'd call it an improvisation upon the tradition.


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## gaer

Flaminius said:


> Gary,
> I think it is safe to say obsidian is usually a black and glittering stone. The Wikipedia article calls it "naturally occurring" *glass*.


Well, here is what the article says:

"While pure obsidian is always dark in appearance, the color varies depending on the presence of impurities. Iron and magnesium *typically give the obsidian a dark green to brown to black color*."

So we can say obsidian is always dark, but we can't say it is always black. 


> Hiro,
> I opine that the addressee of the original sentence is not a _samurai_ by profession. It is just a metaphor. In that case, we are pretty safe from committing insult by praising the beauteous eyes of a worrior.
> 
> Besides, if you can replace black hair of girls with wet feathers of カラス (crow), can I please be allowed to use ガラス (glass) instead of my eyes?
> I'd call it an improvisation upon the tradition.


I would like to comment on the "wet feathers" expression but in a new topic where we will not be drifting. 

Gaer


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## pink dragon

Cereth said:


> by the way is better saying hitomi instead of me?


 
Both of "hitomi" and "me" are OK.
Dictionaries may say "hitomi" means a pupil, which is the black, center part of the eye, but we actually use it to mean the same thing as "me" (eyes).

We often use "hitomi" in lyrics, stories, and poems...the word has a little more artistic and romantic sense than "me", so I thought it would be a good idea to use it when praising someone's eyes.


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## Cereth

Thank you everybody for your replies!!!!

I haven´t seen my friend yet and I don´t have any idea about the nationality of the person who wrote the letter...

Obsidian is most of the times black..and I know in English is not used, in spanish that metaphor sounds normal..so maybe the person who wrote it was from Spain or Mexico.

I also think that the word "samurai" is used a metaphor..I am shocked, because it seems is not common in nihongo to make compliments to men´s beauty..ohh sannen desu.


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## Hiro Sasaki

The beauty of a man can be mentioned, but very rarely. The strenth,
power, and courage of a man will be stressed more often. Any specific 
part of the body of a man will not be described using the name of some 
flowers or precious stones such as ”a lily" or "a pearl ".

I could not find many hits on the google.


1. 水もしたたる美少年

２．　水もしたたるようなよい男

Once again、” water " means "young, fresh, and glittering beauty ".

It'a　pity that more and more beautiful Japanese expressions are
used less often. People are less poetic-minded, and the beautiful 
Japanese are spoiled by the western ideas and words, ironically by 
people who don't know well foreign languages and their cultures. 

Hiro sasaki


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## gaer

Cereth said:


> Thank you everybody for your replies!!!!
> 
> I haven´t seen my friend yet and I don´t have any idea about the nationality of the person who wrote the letter...
> 
> Obsidian is most of the times black..and I know in English is not used, in spanish that metaphor sounds normal..so maybe the person who wrote it was from Spain or Mexico.
> 
> I also think that the word "samurai" is used a metaphor..I am shocked, because it seems is not common in nihongo to make compliments to men´s beauty..ohh sannen desu.


In the link that Flaminius gave us, there is a picture in which the top stone is said to be obsinian. It is definitely dark. I'm not sure it is black.

However, I know nothing about geology and stones, so I will accept "black" or "very dark" as reasonable definitions of the color. 

Gaer


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## gaer

Hiro Sasaki said:


> The beauty of a man can be mentioned, but very rarely. The strenth,
> power, and courage of a man will be stressed more often. Any specific
> part of the body of a man will not be described using the name of some
> flowers or precious stones such as ”a lily" or "a pearl ".


I believe that until very recently it was rather rare to talk about "male beauty", but there is one thing that may make that different in the west: Greece.

However, in the time I grew up, men also stressed power, strength, courage, etc. when talking about other men. What language did women use? It was probably a bit different.

In the last few decades, a great deal has changed. I will let other people decide which of those changes are good. 

"Obsinian" 黒曜石 confused me when used as a color for eyes. In stories about brave men, even today in fantasy (adventure), a brave warrior might be described as having "slate-gray" eyes, "steel-gray eyes". and that would communicate power. There would be other words to reinforce this idea. However, it is possible to express the idea that a strong man is also sensitive (kind), and I don't really see why it is strange that a man who is strong and brave might also have "beautiful" (expressive) eyes.

Gaer


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## Cereth

I´m sorry but I definitely think that a man can have obsidian eyes, not only  steel-gray eyes..of course this is seen only by his lover..

I think I´ll leave it up here because this conversation won´t longer be Japanese but "womanese".


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## Hiro Sasaki

I agree with you, Cwereth san. You are moman-like linguistically.It's time for us to end the discussions about "obsinian". The relation between the genger, language, colours, social changes and culture is a too big issue. Anthologiests andf sociologists may write thouands of pages about it. 

Even yellow and red colours for Japanese  have the different implications 
for chinese people. Therefore, when use some words in a specific word,
you must take into consideration the historical, cultural aspects.

We have been admiring 黒髪　and 黒い瞳　as we are of mongoloid race.
But, two percents of young people get married with foreigners now.
Many women dye their hairs and they can buy dark brown or other 
color contact lenses at a loculist clinic. 

I only pointed out that we can not imagine beautiful black jewels
in a Japanese culture.

Hiro Sasaki


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