諺語 · a single proverb
疾如風，徐如林
What does 疾如風，徐如林 (jí rú fēng xú rú lín) mean?
疾如風，徐如林 (jí rú fēng xú rú lín) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "swift as wind, patient as forest." In use it means: Move swiftly when swift, and slowly and steadily when steadiness is called for; adapt one's pace to the situation. 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 Horse.
Literally: "swift as wind, patient as forest."
The reading
The strategy is not always speed or always patience but the wisdom to know which one the moment requires and to apply it without argument or delay. The forest is patient without weakness and the wind is swift without recklessness. Both are available to the one who reads the situation well enough to choose correctly.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Sun Zi 孫子兵法·軍爭 (Jūn Zhēng, Maneuvering); popularized in Fūrinkazan
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 Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 疾如風，徐如林 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 疾如風，徐如林 (jí rú fēng xú rú lín) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Sun Zi 孫子兵法·軍爭 (Jūn Zhēng, Maneuvering); popularized in Fūrinkazan. 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 疾如風，徐如林?
In Mandarin it is jí rú fēng xú rú lín. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 疾如風，徐如林 aloud in Mandarin.