諺語 · a single proverb

處chǔ暑shǔ不bù出chū頭tóu,，割gē穀gǔ餵wèi老lǎo牛niú

Simplified: 处暑不出头，割谷喂老牛

chǔ shǔ bù chū tóu, gē gǔ wèi lǎo niú

What does 處暑不出頭，割穀餵老牛 (chǔ shǔ bù chū tóu, gē gǔ wèi lǎo niú) mean?

處暑不出頭，割穀餵老牛 (chǔ shǔ bù chū tóu, gē gǔ wèi lǎo niú) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "If grain hasn't headed by End of Heat, cut it and feed the old ox." In use it means: If grain crops have not formed heads by the Chushu solar term (End of Heat, around August 23), they will not mature in time for harvest. It is better to cut them as animal feed than to waste further effort. A practical lesson in knowing when to cut losses. 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 Ox.

Literally: "If grain hasn't headed by End of Heat, cut it and feed the old ox.."

The reading

Recognising a lost cause is not giving up; it is redirecting resources toward something that can still succeed. The farmer who feeds failed grain to the ox salvages value from disappointment. Not every planting yields a harvest, and wisdom lies in responding to what is rather than what was hoped for. Letting go of a plan does not mean letting go of purpose.

What kind of proverb it is

Source Solar term agricultural proverb, common in rice-growing regions of southern China

Sits beside

偷梁換柱

tōu liáng huàn zhù

A secret substitution.

先入為主

xiān rù wéi zhǔ

First impressions dominate perception.

千里之堤，潰於蟻穴

qiān lǐ zhī dī kuì yú yǐ xué

Small problems ignored become catastrophic.

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 Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.

Questions

Is 處暑不出頭，割穀餵老牛 a real Chinese proverb?

Yes. 處暑不出頭，割穀餵老牛 (chǔ shǔ bù chū tóu, gē gǔ wèi lǎo niú) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Solar term agricultural proverb, common in rice-growing regions of southern China. 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 處暑不出頭，割穀餵老牛?

In Mandarin it is chǔ shǔ bù chū tóu, gē gǔ wèi lǎo niú. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 處暑不出頭，割穀餵老牛 aloud in Mandarin.