諺語 · a single proverb
歸去來兮
Simplified: 归去来兮
What does 歸去來兮 (guī qù lái xī) mean?
歸去來兮 (guī qù lái xī) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "returning home, returning home." In use it means: The call to return to a simpler, more authentic life after years in the world; leaving ambition for peace. 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 Pig.
Literally: "returning home, returning home."
The reading
Tao Yuanming left his post, walked home, and never went back. The world he left was powerful and comfortable. The world he returned to had chrysanthemums and a leaking roof. He chose the roof. Not because the roof was better than the palace, but because the person who lived under the roof was more recognizable to him than the person who sat in the palace. Go home. Find the person you recognize.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Tao Yuanming 陶淵明, Gui Qu Lai Ci 歸去來辭
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 Home, Family & Roots, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 歸去來兮 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 歸去來兮 (guī qù lái xī) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Tao Yuanming 陶淵明, Gui Qu Lai Ci 歸去來辭. 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 歸去來兮?
In Mandarin it is guī qù lái xī. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 歸去來兮 aloud in Mandarin.