諺語 · a single proverb
枯木逢春
What does 枯木逢春 (kū mù féng chūn) mean?
枯木逢春 (kū mù féng chūn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "a dead tree meets spring." In use it means: Something that seemed finished or hopeless comes back to life; unexpected renewal. 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 Rabbit.
Literally: "a dead tree meets spring."
The reading
The tree looked dead. The branches were bare for so long that everyone had stopped looking at them. Then spring came, and one small green shoot appeared on a branch that everyone had written off. Revival does not always arrive on schedule, but it arrives.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Buddhist literary tradition; common folk idiom
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 Rabbit, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 枯木逢春 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 枯木逢春 (kū mù féng chūn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Buddhist literary tradition; common folk idiom. 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 枯木逢春?
In Mandarin it is kū mù féng chūn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 枯木逢春 aloud in Mandarin.