諺語 · a single proverb
寒露無青稻，霜降一齊倒
Simplified: 寒露无青稻，霜降一齐倒
What does 寒露無青稻，霜降一齊倒 (hán lù wú qīng dào, shuāng jiàng yī qí dǎo) mean?
寒露無青稻，霜降一齊倒 (hán lù wú qīng dào, shuāng jiàng yī qí dǎo) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "By Cold Dew no green rice should remain; at Frost Descent all falls together." In use it means: Rice must be fully mature with no green stalks remaining by the Hanlu solar term. By Shuangjiang, all rice should be harvested simultaneously, as frost will destroy any crop left standing in the paddy. 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 Dog.
Literally: "By Cold Dew no green rice should remain; at Frost Descent all falls together."
The reading
The rice harvest operates on a countdown with no extensions. Hanlu sets the final checkpoint: any field still showing green at that point is already in trouble. By the time frost coats the morning paddies at Shuangjiang, everything must be cut and gathered without exception. The proverb's blunt phrasing carries the weight of generations who learned that the land's deadlines are absolute and cannot be negotiated.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Rice-harvest deadline proverb from central and southern Chinese farming communities tied to the frost calendar
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 Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 寒露無青稻，霜降一齊倒 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 寒露無青稻，霜降一齊倒 (hán lù wú qīng dào, shuāng jiàng yī qí dǎo) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Rice-harvest deadline proverb from central and southern Chinese farming communities tied to the frost calendar. 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 寒露無青稻，霜降一齊倒?
In Mandarin it is hán lù wú qīng dào, shuāng jiàng yī qí dǎo. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 寒露無青稻，霜降一齊倒 aloud in Mandarin.