諺語 · a single proverb
會當凌絕頂，一覽眾山小
Simplified: 会当凌绝顶，一览众山小
What does 會當凌絕頂，一覽眾山小 (huì dāng líng jué dǐng yī lǎn zhòng shān xiǎo) mean?
會當凌絕頂，一覽眾山小 (huì dāng líng jué dǐng yī lǎn zhòng shān xiǎo) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "should reach the very summit, one gaze makes all mountains small." In use it means: Reach the highest point and all other heights look small; supreme achievement commands all perspective. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dragon.
Literally: "should reach the very summit, one gaze makes all mountains small."
The reading
The summit is not arrogance but arrival, and the view from it does not diminish the other mountains but reveals their proper scale. What seemed enormous from below becomes context from above, and context is the gift that the climb earns. Rise, and let the panorama teach you proportion.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Du Fu 杜甫·《望嶽》 (Wàng Yuè, Looking at Mount Tai, Tang Dynasty poem)
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 Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dragon, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 會當凌絕頂，一覽眾山小 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 會當凌絕頂，一覽眾山小 (huì dāng líng jué dǐng yī lǎn zhòng shān xiǎo) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Du Fu 杜甫·《望嶽》 (Wàng Yuè, Looking at Mount Tai, Tang Dynasty poem). 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 會當凌絕頂，一覽眾山小?
In Mandarin it is huì dāng líng jué dǐng yī lǎn zhòng shān xiǎo. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 會當凌絕頂，一覽眾山小 aloud in Mandarin.