諺語 · a single proverb
機不可失，失不再來
Simplified: 机不可失，失不再来
What does 機不可失，失不再來 (jī bù kě shī shī bù zài lái) mean?
機不可失，失不再來 (jī bù kě shī shī bù zài lái) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "opportunity must not be lost; once lost it does not return." In use it means: When the right moment arrives, take it. The same opening will not come twice. 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 Rooster.
Literally: "opportunity must not be lost; once lost it does not return."
The reading
The window is open. It will close. It does not announce when. The person who notices the open window and climbs through it gets to the other side. The person who says let me think about it finds a wall where the window used to be.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Old History of the Five Dynasties 舊五代史; folk proverb
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 Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 機不可失，失不再來 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 機不可失，失不再來 (jī bù kě shī shī bù zài lái) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Old History of the Five Dynasties 舊五代史; folk proverb. 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 機不可失，失不再來?
In Mandarin it is jī bù kě shī shī bù zài lái. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 機不可失，失不再來 aloud in Mandarin.