諺語 · a single proverb
山水有相逢
What does 山水有相逢 (shān shuǐ yǒu xiāng féng) mean?
山水有相逢 (shān shuǐ yǒu xiāng féng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "mountain and water have their meeting." In use it means: All rivers and roads meet again eventually; paths that diverge will cross again. 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 Dragon.
Literally: "mountain and water have their meeting."
The reading
The mountain and the river do not choose each other; they simply coexist in the landscape, and the landscape brings them together at the valley. People who have shared a world once carry in them the topology of that world, and if they are still moving through the same broad landscape, the chances are reasonable that the paths will intersect again. Keep moving; the meeting will arrange itself.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk saying
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 Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 山水有相逢 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 山水有相逢 (shān shuǐ yǒu xiāng féng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk saying. 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 山水有相逢?
In Mandarin it is shān shuǐ yǒu xiāng féng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 山水有相逢 aloud in Mandarin.