諺語 · a single proverb
浮生若夢
Simplified: 浮生若梦
What does 浮生若夢 (fú shēng ruò mèng) mean?
浮生若夢 (fú shēng ruò mèng) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "this fleeting life is like a dream." In use it means: Life passes so quickly it resembles a dream; its brevity should motivate us to live with presence and meaning. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rabbit.
Literally: "this fleeting life is like a dream."
The reading
The morning felt like a week ago and the year felt like a month. Time has two clocks: the one on the wall and the one in your chest. They agree on the numbers but disagree on the weight. Living as though it might be a dream is not nihilism. It is the most accurate pacing available.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Li Bai 李白, Chunye Yan Taoli Yuan Xu 春夜宴桃李園序
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 Nature, Seasons & Health, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 浮生若夢 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 浮生若夢 (fú shēng ruò mèng) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Li Bai 李白, Chunye Yan Taoli Yuan Xu 春夜宴桃李園序. 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 浮生若夢?
In Mandarin it is fú shēng ruò mèng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 浮生若夢 aloud in Mandarin.