諺語 · a single proverb
不怕神馬，就怕萬馬齊喑
Simplified: 不怕神马，就怕万马齐喑
What does 不怕神馬，就怕萬馬齊喑 (bù pà shén mǎ jiù pà wàn mǎ qí yīn) mean?
不怕神馬，就怕萬馬齊喑 (bù pà shén mǎ jiù pà wàn mǎ qí yīn) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "ten thousand horses all silent." In use it means: When everyone stops speaking up, that silence is the real danger. One loud enemy is less frightening than a whole society gone quiet. 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 Horse.
Literally: "ten thousand horses all silent."
The reading
The sound of ten thousand horses is terrifying. But the silence of ten thousand horses is worse, because it means something has made every last one of them afraid to make a sound. That kind of silence is the one that precedes collapse.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Gong Zizhen 龔自珍, 己亥雜詩 (Qing dynasty)
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 Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 不怕神馬，就怕萬馬齊喑 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 不怕神馬，就怕萬馬齊喑 (bù pà shén mǎ jiù pà wàn mǎ qí yīn) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Gong Zizhen 龔自珍, 己亥雜詩 (Qing dynasty). 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 不怕神馬，就怕萬馬齊喑?
In Mandarin it is bù pà shén mǎ jiù pà wàn mǎ qí yīn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 不怕神馬，就怕萬馬齊喑 aloud in Mandarin.