諺語 · a single proverb
富貴不能淫，貧賤不能移
Simplified: 富贵不能淫，贫贱不能移
What does 富貴不能淫，貧賤不能移 (fù guì bù néng yín pín jiàn bù néng yí) mean?
富貴不能淫，貧賤不能移 (fù guì bù néng yín pín jiàn bù néng yí) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "wealth and honor cannot corrupt, poverty and low station cannot change." In use it means: Wealth cannot corrupt, poverty cannot sway; the noble person's character is unchanging. 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 Ox.
Literally: "wealth and honor cannot corrupt, poverty and low station cannot change."
The reading
The measure of character is taken in both directions: the person who is not corrupted by wealth and the person who is not broken by poverty is the same person, holding the same center through opposite conditions. This is not rigidity but rootedness, the quality of a trunk that gives in neither direction despite the varying pressure of seasons.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Mencius 孟子·滕文公下 (Téng Wén Gōng II)
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 Adversity & Resilience, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 富貴不能淫，貧賤不能移 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 富貴不能淫，貧賤不能移 (fù guì bù néng yín pín jiàn bù néng yí) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Mencius 孟子·滕文公下 (Téng Wén Gōng II). 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 富貴不能淫，貧賤不能移?
In Mandarin it is fù guì bù néng yín pín jiàn bù néng yí. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 富貴不能淫，貧賤不能移 aloud in Mandarin.