寶bǎo劍jiàn鋒fēng從cóng磨mó礪lì出chū，梅méi花huā香xiāng自zì苦kǔ寒hán來lái

What does 寶劍鋒從磨礪出，梅花香自苦寒來 (bǎo jiàn fēng cóng mó lì chū méi huā xiāng zì kǔ hán lái) mean?

寶劍鋒從磨礪出，梅花香自苦寒來 (bǎo jiàn fēng cóng mó lì chū méi huā xiāng zì kǔ hán lái) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "a precious sword's edge comes from grinding, plum blossom fragrance comes from bitter cold." In use it means: Excellence requires suffering. The sharpest blade was ground the hardest, and the sweetest fragrance blooms in the harshest winter. Difficulty is the raw material of quality. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Tiger.

Literally: "a precious sword's edge comes from grinding, plum blossom fragrance comes from bitter cold."

The reading

The sword did not ask to be hammered. The plum did not ask for the frost. But the edge and the scent are the direct products of the pressure. Remove the grinding and you have a dull blade. Remove the cold and you have a scentless flower. The difficulty was not an obstacle to the result. It was the process that created it.

What kind of proverb it is

• Typeshīcí 詩詞
• FocusPresent-minded
• Element金 Metal
• Zodiac tie虎 Year of the Tiger

Source attributed to various; Jingde Chuandeng Lu 景德傳燈錄; folk educational maxim

Sits beside

Keep reading

Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Adversity & Resilience, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.