諺語 · a single proverb
莫道君行早，更有早行人
What does 莫道君行早，更有早行人 (mò dào jūn xíng zǎo gèng yǒu zǎo xíng rén) mean?
莫道君行早，更有早行人 (mò dào jūn xíng zǎo gèng yǒu zǎo xíng rén) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "don't say you left early, there are others who left even earlier." In use it means: Don't boast about being first; there is always someone who was there before you. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rooster.
Literally: "don't say you left early, there are others who left even earlier."
The reading
The road at dawn is never as empty as it looks from behind. Those who rise earliest often discover that someone was already there before them, already climbing, already at work, and the discovery adjusts the boast into perspective. The world is full of early risers who say nothing about it.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk proverb (yanyu)
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 Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 莫道君行早，更有早行人 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 莫道君行早，更有早行人 (mò dào jūn xíng zǎo gèng yǒu zǎo xíng rén) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk proverb (yanyu). 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 莫道君行早，更有早行人?
In Mandarin it is mò dào jūn xíng zǎo gèng yǒu zǎo xíng rén. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 莫道君行早，更有早行人 aloud in Mandarin.