諺語 · a single proverb
蠶老一時，麥熟一晌
Simplified: 蚕老一时，麦熟一晌
What does 蠶老一時，麥熟一晌 (cán lǎo yī shí, mài shú yī shǎng) mean?
蠶老一時，麥熟一晌 (cán lǎo yī shí, mài shú yī shǎng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "Silkworms age in a moment, wheat ripens in a morning." In use it means: Both silkworm maturation and wheat ripening happen with sudden urgency. The farmer must be prepared to act the instant the tipping point arrives, as delay means lost silk and spoiled grain. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rooster.
Literally: "Silkworms age in a moment, wheat ripens in a morning."
The reading
Weeks of slow, patient feeding end in a single decisive morning. The silkworm that ate steadily for a month will spin its cocoon overnight, and the wheat field that stood green at dawn may turn golden by afternoon. There is no gradual transition at the end, only a sharp hinge. Readiness during the quiet days is what makes swift action possible when the moment breaks.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Jiangnan sericulture folk proverb, collected in Ming-Qing agricultural compendiums on silk and grain farming
Sits beside
冬至陽生春又來
dōng zhì yáng shēng chūn yòu lái
At the darkest moment of winter, yang energy is reborn and spring begins its return.
夜長夢多
yè cháng mèng duō
Delay leads to complications.
太公釣魚，願者上鉤
tài gōng diào yú yuàn zhě shàng gōu
The best way to attract people is not through trickery but through genuine worth.
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 Timing & Fortune's Turning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 蠶老一時，麥熟一晌 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 蠶老一時，麥熟一晌 (cán lǎo yī shí, mài shú yī shǎng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Jiangnan sericulture folk proverb, collected in Ming-Qing agricultural compendiums on silk and grain farming. 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 蠶老一時，麥熟一晌?
In Mandarin it is cán lǎo yī shí, mài shú yī shǎng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 蠶老一時，麥熟一晌 aloud in Mandarin.