諺語 · a single proverb
風起於末
Simplified: 风起于末
What does 風起於末 (fēng qǐ yú mò) mean?
風起於末 (fēng qǐ yú mò) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "wind rises from the tips of grasses." In use it means: Great changes begin as tiny, barely noticeable signals; the earliest signs of trouble or opportunity appear at the margins. 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 Rat.
Literally: "wind rises from the tips of grasses."
The reading
Nobody noticed the first gust. It was small, barely enough to bend a blade of grass. By the time it mattered, the whole field was leaning. Reading the early movement is not prediction. It is attention. The information was always there. The question was whether anyone was watching the grass.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Song Yu 宋玉, Feng Fu 風賦 (Chu Ci tradition)
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 Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 風起於末 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 風起於末 (fēng qǐ yú mò) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Song Yu 宋玉, Feng Fu 風賦 (Chu Ci tradition). 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 風起於末?
In Mandarin it is fēng qǐ yú mò. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 風起於末 aloud in Mandarin.