工gōng夫fu在zài詩shī外wài

What does 工夫在詩外 (gōng fu zài shī wài) mean?

工夫在詩外 (gōng fu zài shī wài) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "The real effort is outside the poem." In use it means: Mastery of any craft depends more on the breadth and depth of one's life experience than on technical skill alone. A poet who has only studied poetry will write shallow verses; one who has lived fully brings richness to every line. 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 Tiger.

Literally: "The real effort is outside the poem."

The reading

Lu You wrote this advice to his sons, and it has outlived nearly all his other instructions. The calligrapher who only practices strokes will never match the one who also walks in mountains and reads philosophy. The cook who only follows recipes will never match the one who grows herbs and visits farms. Every craft draws its deepest power from what the practitioner brings from outside the studio, the workshop, the kitchen. A full life is the hidden ingredient in all great work.

What kind of proverb it is

• Typeshīcí 詩詞
• FocusPresent-minded
• Element木 Wood
• Zodiac tie虎 Year of the Tiger

Source Lu You (陸游), Song dynasty poet, from Shiyu (示喻), a letter to his sons

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 Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.