諺語 · a single proverb
扁鵲見蔡桓公
Simplified: 扁鹊见蔡桓公
What does 扁鵲見蔡桓公 (biǎn què jiàn cài huán gōng) mean?
扁鵲見蔡桓公 (biǎn què jiàn cài huán gōng) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "Bian Que visits Duke Huan of Cai." In use it means: Ignoring expert warning when a problem is still small leads to catastrophe; denial transforms a curable condition into a fatal one. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Tiger.
Literally: "Bian Que visits Duke Huan of Cai."
The reading
The doctor said the disease was in the skin. The duke waved him away. The doctor came back and said it was in the flesh. The duke said he felt fine. By the third visit it was in the bone, and there was nothing left to do. The disease did not kill him. The refusal to listen did.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Han Feizi 韓非子, Yu Lao 喻老
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 Nature, Seasons & Health, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 扁鵲見蔡桓公 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 扁鵲見蔡桓公 (biǎn què jiàn cài huán gōng) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Han Feizi 韓非子, Yu Lao 喻老. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 扁鵲見蔡桓公?
In Mandarin it is biǎn què jiàn cài huán gōng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 扁鵲見蔡桓公 aloud in Mandarin.