諺語 · a single proverb
立春一日，百草回芽
What does 立春一日，百草回芽 (lì chūn yī rì, bǎi cǎo huí yá) mean?
立春一日，百草回芽 (lì chūn yī rì, bǎi cǎo huí yá) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "On the day of Lichun, a hundred grasses return to bud." In use it means: The solar term Lichun (Start of Spring, around February 4) marks the moment when dormant vegetation begins to stir. It signals that renewal is biologically underway, even if winter still lingers on the surface. 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: "On the day of Lichun, a hundred grasses return to bud.."
The reading
Recovery begins underground, invisible and quiet, long before anything green breaks through the soil. The body heals before the scar fades. What looks like stillness is often the most active phase of becoming. Trusting the timing of growth requires faith in what you cannot yet see.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Solar term agricultural proverb (節氣農諺)
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 Nature, Seasons & Health, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 立春一日，百草回芽 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 立春一日，百草回芽 (lì chūn yī rì, bǎi cǎo huí yá) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Solar term agricultural proverb (節氣農諺). 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 立春一日，百草回芽?
In Mandarin it is lì chūn yī rì, bǎi cǎo huí yá. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 立春一日，百草回芽 aloud in Mandarin.