諺語 · a single proverb
風起雲湧
Simplified: 风起云涌
What does 風起雲湧 (fēng qǐ yún yǒng) mean?
風起雲湧 (fēng qǐ yún yǒng) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "wind rises and clouds surge." In use it means: A momentous situation is developing; great change is gathering force like a coming storm. 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 Dragon.
Literally: "wind rises and clouds surge."
The reading
Before the storm arrives, the air changes. The clouds build. The birds go quiet. The person who reads these signs does not need the first raindrop to start preparing. Great shifts in fortune announce themselves to anyone watching the sky. Watch the sky.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Su Shi 蘇軾; common literary usage in classical Chinese
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 Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 風起雲湧 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 風起雲湧 (fēng qǐ yún yǒng) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Su Shi 蘇軾; common literary usage in classical Chinese. 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 風起雲湧?
In Mandarin it is fēng qǐ yún yǒng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 風起雲湧 aloud in Mandarin.