飛fēi鳥niǎo盡jìn，良liáng弓gōng藏cáng

What does 飛鳥盡，良弓藏 (fēi niǎo jìn liáng gōng cáng) mean?

飛鳥盡，良弓藏 (fēi niǎo jìn liáng gōng cáng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "birds all gone, good bow put away." In use it means: When a goal is accomplished, those who helped achieve it are cast aside; the tool discarded once its use is done. 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 Rooster.

Literally: "birds all gone, good bow put away."

The reading

The bow that brought down every bird hangs in the dark cabinet now that the sky is empty. Usefulness, when tied to a single purpose, ends with that purpose. Those who serve with versatility rather than singularity of function tend to remain in the light after the immediate task is done.

What kind of proverb it is

• Typeyànyǔ 諺語
• FocusLooks back
• Element金 Metal
• Zodiac tie雞 Year of the Rooster

Source Shi Ji 史記·越王勾踐世家 (Yuè Wáng Gōujiàn biography)

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 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.