Sayings · LT905

Aphorisms

Immortal maxims, inspirational epigrams, and ethical golden verses.

710works

11dynasties

185authors

Song

26 works

960–1279

  1. How Refreshing Is This WindSu ZheHow refreshing is this wind! Is this something I share with the common people?
  2. Naming Any Object, He Wrote a Poem on ItWang AnshiFrom then on, whenever an object was named, he wrote a poem on it at once, and its style and thought had merit.
  3. Once More the Spring Wind Greens the Southern ShoreWang AnshiThe spring wind once more greens the southern shore of the river; when will the bright moon light my way home?
  4. The Ferry Crossing Lost in Moonlit MistQin GuanMist swallows the towers, the moon blurs the ferry crossing; I gaze until my eyes give out, and the Peach Blossom Spring is nowhere to be found.
  5. Lotus Leaves Clear and Round Upon the WaterZhou BangyanThe early sun on the leaves dries the night's rain; on the water, clear and round, one by one the lotuses lift in the wind.
  6. Depth in Seeking and ReflectingWang AnshiBecause their seeking and reflecting were deep, and there was nowhere they did not reach.
  7. Sunk Back Among the Ordinary CrowdWang AnshiThey said: 'He has sunk back among the ordinary crowd.'
  8. Like a Sound in the Air: Yan Yu on the Magic of PoetryYan YuLike a sound in the air, colour in a form, the moon in water, an image in a mirror; the words come to an end, but the meaning is endless.
  9. Won by Effort, Not Given by Heaven: Zeng Gong's Ink PondZeng GongXizhi's calligraphy became excellent only late in life, so his ability must have been won by his own effort, not given by nature.
  10. Slender Clouds Weave Their Artful Patterns on QixiQin GuanSlender clouds weave artful patterns, shooting stars carry their grief, and across the far Milky Way they secretly cross.
  11. Towers Lost in the Mist at ChenzhouQin GuanIn the mist the towers are lost; in the moonlight the ferries vanish; I gaze to the end of sight, and the Peach Blossom Spring is nowhere to be found.
  12. Extraordinary Sights Found Only in Remote PlacesWang AnshiYet the wonderful, magnificent, strange and extraordinary sights of the world are often in dangerous and remote places that people rarely reach, so those without determination cannot get there.
  13. Letting No Outward Thing Wound One's Inner NatureSu ZheIf his heart is at ease and he lets no outward thing wound his nature, where will he go and not be happy?
  14. A House of Gold Lies in BooksZhao Heng (traditionally attributed)To live in comfort you need not build a lofty hall; within books there is a house of gold.
  15. Swallows Return, as if Known BeforeYan ShuNothing can be done: the flowers fall away; as if I knew them before, the swallows come back.
  16. Plum Blossoms Opening Alone in the ColdWang AnshiIn the corner of the wall, a few sprays of plum open alone, braving the cold.
  17. Fifteen Strings of CashAnonymous (Song–Yuan storytellers)I was at my wits' end and had no other way, so I had to pawn you to a merchant; and because I could not bear to part with you, I only took fifteen strings of cash.
  18. A Pagoda a Thousand Fathoms HighWang AnshiOn Feilai Hill stands a pagoda a thousand fathoms high; I have heard that at cockcrow one sees the sun rise from it.
  19. The Little Lotus Just Shows Its Pointed TipYang WanliThe little lotus has just shown its pointed tip, and already a dragonfly stands on top of it.
  20. New Peach Charms Replace the OldWang AnshiOn a thousand gates and ten thousand homes the bright sun shines, and all replace the old peach charms with new.
  21. Unmoved Though Mount Tai Collapse Before Him: Su Xun on GeneralshipSu XunThe way of the general is first to govern his mind. When Mount Tai collapses before him and his face does not change, when a deer springs up at his side and his eyes do not blink, then he can master gain and loss and face the enemy.
  22. Burning Aloeswood to Dispel the Summer HeatZhou BangyanI burn aloeswood to dispel the sultry summer heat.
  23. Firecrackers Sound Out the Old Year: Wang Anshi's New Year's DayWang AnshiAmid the crackle of firecrackers the old year departs; the spring wind brings warmth into the Tusu wine.
  24. From Thrift to Luxury Is Easy, Back Is Hard: Sima Guang's Letter to His SonSima GuangBut it is human nature that from thrift to luxury is easy, and from luxury back to thrift is hard.
  25. Because I Stand on the Highest Level: Wang Anshi on Feilai PeakWang AnshiI do not fear drifting clouds will block my view, simply because I stand on the highest level.
  26. Each Lotus Leaf Lifted by the Wind: Zhou Bangyan's Summer PondZhou BangyanThe early sun dries last night's rain on the leaves; on the water, fresh and round, the lotus leaves are lifted one by one by the wind.

Yuan

30 works

1260–1368

  1. Gold and Jade Outside, Rotten Cotton WithinLiu BowenWhere can one go and not find gold and jade on the outside, and rotten cotton within?
  2. Dou E's Tears Streaming DownGuan HanqingAh, all I am left with are tears streaming from both eyes.
  3. Cold Fragrance Drifting Through the CourtyardMa ZhiyuanDew on the roses, rain on the lotus leaves, frost on the chrysanthemums, cold fragrance in the courtyard.
  4. Ancient Road and West Wind in Autumn ThoughtsMa ZhiyuanAn ancient road, the west wind, a lean horse. The sun sets in the west; a heartbroken traveler at the edge of the world.
  5. Fallen Petals Scent the River at DuskMa ZhiyuanFallen petals scent the water, the thatched huts grow dark; at the broken bridge, the fish sellers have gone.
  6. Heaven Misjudges the Good and the WickedGuan HanqingEarth, you cannot tell good from bad, how can you be earth? Heaven, you misjudge the worthy and the foolish, you are heaven in vain!
  7. Blue-Cloud Skies Above the Long Pavilion FarewellWang ShifuBlue-cloud sky, yellow-flowered earth; the west wind blows hard, and the northern geese fly south.
  8. Frosted Woods Dyed Red by the Tears of PartingWang ShifuAt dawn, who has dyed the frosted woods as red as a drunkard's face? It is always the tears of those who part.
  9. A Bronze Pea That Will Not CrackGuan HanqingI am a bronze pea that will not steam soft, will not boil through, will not pound flat, will not fry and pop, a pea that rings like metal.
  10. Frosted Woods Flushed as If with WineWang ShifuWho dyed the frosted woods this morning, flushed as if with wine? It must be the tears of those who part.
  11. Yellow Chrysanthemums Carpet the GroundWang ShifuBlue clouds in the sky, yellow flowers on the ground, the west wind sharp, wild geese flying south.
  12. Reciting a Text After One ReadingToqto'a (comp.)When he began his studies and received the classics, he could recite them after one reading.
  13. You and I, So Deeply EntwinedGuan DaoshengYou and I, so deeply entwined, our love is overflowing; where love is deep, it burns like fire.
  14. Wide Learning and a Powerful MemoryToqto'a (comp.)He was bright and quick by nature, widely read with a powerful memory; he could recite more than a thousand characters a day and draw a bow of one shi and five dou.
  15. Homing Geese Across the Autumn SkyZhang KejiuFacing the green hills I force myself to straighten my black gauze cap; homing geese cross the autumn sky, and the weary traveller longs for home.
  16. Composed and Unhurried in the Enemy CampToqto'a (comp.)The Jin commander Wolibu kept him in the camp for ten days, and the emperor remained calm and at ease.
  17. You in My Clay and I in YoursGuan DaoshengIn my clay there is you, and in your clay there is me.
  18. Father and Son Fall Together: The Jingkang DisasterToqto'a (comp.)In the end father and son fell together, and the altars of the state were overgrown with weeds.
  19. Laughing Proudly Among Forests and Springs: Qiao Ji's Self-PortraitQiao JiLaughing proudly among forests and springs, I have scattered fame and profit to the winds.
  20. Red Leaves and Yellow Flowers in Bai Pu's Autumn SceneBai PuGreen hills and blue water; white grass, red leaves, yellow flowers.
  21. Muddling Through by Old Routine: Wang Anshi's Ten-Thousand-Word MemorialToqto'a (comp.)I hope Your Majesty will take warning from the harm of complacent routine, give clear orders to the ministers, and carry out change by degrees to meet the changes of the age.
  22. Bones of Snow and Flesh of Ice: The Plum BlossomQiao JiBones of snow and flesh of ice, the substance of jade and the fragrance of orchids.
  23. The Six Classics Annotate Me, and I Annotate the Six ClassicsToqto'a (comp.)If in learning one truly understands the Way, the Six Classics are all footnotes to me.
  24. Handling Ships the Way Horsemen Handle HorsesToqto'a (comp.)The southern army handles ships the way we handle horses; what can we do?
  25. Let the South Keep to the South, the North to the NorthToqto'a (comp.)If you want the realm to be at peace, let the south keep to the south and the north to the north.
  26. Pleasure and Vexation Kept from the FaceToqto'a (comp.)By nature he was humane, filial and generous, and neither pleasure nor anger showed on his face.
  27. A Ruler Dies with His Altars of StateToqto'a (comp.)Even so, by the Rites, which say that a ruler dies with his altars of state, Aizong has nothing to be ashamed of.
  28. A Soldier Should Speak of War, Not of PeaceToqto'a (comp.)I am a man of armour and helmet; I should speak of war, not of peace.
  29. Easier to Shake a Mountain Than the Yue Family ArmyToqto'a (comp.)It is easy to shake a mountain, hard to shake the Yue family army.
  30. A Moment of Spring Night Is Worth a Thousand in GoldZheng GuangzuHave you never heard that a moment of a spring night is worth a thousand in gold!

Ming

15 works

1368–1644

  1. A Person Without Good FaithWu Cheng'en (traditionally attributed)The stone monkey sat upright on high and said: "Friends, 'a person without good faith, who knows how they can get by.'
  2. Sky and Lake One Seamless WhiteZhang DaiFrost mist filled the air; sky and clouds and hills and water were all one white, above and below.
  3. The Loquat Tree Now Tall as a CanopyGui YouguangIn the courtyard is a loquat tree that my wife planted with her own hands in the year she died; now it stands tall, spreading like a canopy.
  4. A Hundred and Eight Characters, Each Unlike the RestJin ShengtanThe Water Margin depicts the natures of a hundred and eight people, and truly they are a hundred and eight different kinds.
  5. Free of Fixed Forms and FormulasYuan HongdaoMost of my younger brother Xiaoxiu's poems express his own spirit and are not bound by fixed forms; unless the words flowed from his own heart, he would not set them down.
  6. A Mind Grown Clear and StillTan YuanchunWe sat in silence for a long time, and our minds grew clear and still.
  7. Expressing One's Own True Spirit: The Gong'an School CreedYuan HongdaoThey mostly express his own spirit and do not follow set forms; unless it flowed from his own heart, he would not set down his brush.
  8. Pearls Beneath the Brush with No Buyer: Xu Wei's Ink GrapesXu WeiThe bright pearls beneath my brush have nowhere to be sold; idly I toss them among the wild vines.
  9. Green Mist and Red Haze over West Lake's Su CausewayYuan HongdaoFrom the Broken Bridge to the Su Causeway, green mist and red haze spread for more than twenty li.
  10. A Swan Let Out of Its Cage: Yuan Hongdao at ManjingYuan HongdaoGazing over the open expanse, I felt like a swan let out of its cage.
  11. Book Box on the Back, Dragging Worn Shoes: Song Lian's Hard Road to LearningSong LianWhen I followed my teacher, I would carry my book box on my back and drag my shoes through deep mountains and great valleys.
  12. Facing Death Without a Second Thought: the Five Men of SuzhouZhang PuStirred by a great cause, they went to their deaths without a backward glance. What could be the reason?
  13. Dongting Red Oranges: Wen Ruoxu's Lucky VoyageLing MengchuIt cost a tenth of the price of Fujian oranges, and was called Dongting Red.
  14. A Long Road Proves a Horse's StrengthAnonymous (anonymous Ming and Qing compilers)A long road proves a horse's strength; long days reveal a person's heart.
  15. Only When Needed Do We Find Our Reading Too LittleAnonymous (anonymous Ming and Qing compilers)Only when books are needed do we regret having read too few; without going through a thing one does not know how hard it is.

Qing

29 works

1636–1912

  1. You Finish Your Song and I Take the StageCao XueqinIn noisy confusion, you finish your song and I take the stage, mistaking a strange land for home.
  2. The Beauty Who Shone in the AnnalsWu WeiyeHis whole family lies as white bones and dust; the beauty of an age shines in the annals.
  3. Seeing Things Through the SelfWang GuoweiIn the realm with self, one sees things through the self, so all things bear the colouring of the self.
  4. Seeing Things as ThingsWang GuoweiIn the realm without self, one sees things as things, so one does not know which is the self and which is the thing.
  5. One Hair-Raising Rage for a BeautyWu WeiyeThe six armies wept, all clad in mourning white; his hair-raising rage was for a rosy-cheeked beauty.
  6. Breaking Through the Nets of ConventionTan SitongSo to break through the nets is never to have broken through them at all.
  7. A Future as Boundless as the SeaLiang QichaoBehind it stretch a thousand ages, around it the eight wildernesses; its future is as boundless as the sea, its days still long ahead.
  8. Becoming Spring Earth to Nourish the FlowersGong ZizhenTurning into spring earth, they go on to nourish the flowers.
  9. Biting Fast into the Green MountainZheng BanqiaoIt bites fast into the green mountain and never lets go.
  10. The Realm as Master, the Ruler as Guest: Huang ZongxiHuang ZongxiIn ancient times the realm was the master and the ruler the guest; all that the ruler laboured at throughout his life was for the realm.
  11. A Book of Lonely Indignation: Pu Songling's PrefacePu SonglingDrinking as I wrote, I made only a book of lonely indignation; to have placed my feelings in such a thing is sad indeed!
  12. My Heart Is Not Yet Dead: Xi Fangping Defies the UnderworldPu SonglingMy great wrong is not yet righted, and my heart is not yet dead. If I said I would not sue, I would deceive Your Majesty. I will sue!
  13. Shops Undisturbed: Xu Da Takes the Yuan CapitalZhang Tingyu (comp.)Officials and people lived in peace, and the market shops did not change.
  14. Clear the Moment the Book Is OpenedKangxi Emperor (comp.)Divided by sections and set in order, it is clear the moment the book is opened; no meaning is left unexplained and no sound unrecorded.
  15. Judging by Theory AloneJi YunThere are many cases where we know one side but not the other; can we judge by reasoning alone?
  16. The Realm Where the Self DisappearsWang GuoweiIn the realm without the self, one views things through things, so one cannot tell which is the self and which is the thing.
  17. The Realm Where the Self Is PresentWang GuoweiIn the realm with the self, one views things through the self, so all things bear the colour of the self.
  18. Gazing Toward Jiangnan Till Sight Fails: Gu Taiqing to a FriendGu TaiqingI raise my cup and question heaven, but heaven is silent; from the heights I gaze until the trees of Jiangnan fade from sight.
  19. Studying Antiquity and Honouring Letters: Qianlong's Book EdictJi Yun (Ji Xiaolan), Qianlong Emperor (comp.)We study antiquity and honour letters as an aid to government, and in the leisure from affairs We study the classics, diligent day by day.
  20. Inheriting the Throne and Upholding the Laws: the Longqing EmperorZhang Tingyu (comp.)Inheriting the throne and upholding the laws, he may be called a good ruler.
  21. Betraying the Public Good for Private Ends: the Wanli Edict of 1572Zhang Tingyu (comp.)If they sink back into old habits, betraying the public good for private ends and offending the ancestors, We will not dare to pardon them.
  22. A Lofty Style of Its Own: Wang Guowei's JingjieWang GuoweiWith a poetic world, a lyric naturally attains a lofty style and naturally has famous lines.
  23. Dark Mountains Bearing Snow: Yao Nai Climbs Mount TaiYao NaiThe dark mountains bore snow on their backs, its brightness lighting the southern sky.
  24. It Is My People Who Suffer: the Chongzhen Emperor on Coal HillZhang Tingyu (comp.)It is only my people who suffer.
  25. Thought Commonplace at the TimeNalan XingdeHeavy with wine in spring sleep, I was not woken; quoting books, we spilled the fragrant tea. At the time I thought it merely ordinary.
  26. Of Two Harms, Take the LesserZhao Erxun (comp.)When two harms are compared, take the lighter.
  27. Two Kunlun Peaks of CourageTan SitongI draw my sword and laugh toward the sky; those who go and those who stay, loyal hearts, are two Kunlun peaks!
  28. Troops Prized for Quality, Not NumbersZhao Erxun (comp.)From this I know that troops are prized for quality, not numbers.
  29. Hills Beyond Hills in the Setting SunLi Shutong (Master Hongyi)The evening wind stirs the willows, the flute dies away; the setting sun over hills beyond hills.