諺語 · a single proverb
雁過留聲，人過留名
What does 雁過留聲，人過留名 (yàn guò liú shēng rén guò liú míng) mean?
雁過留聲，人過留名 (yàn guò liú shēng rén guò liú míng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "geese passing leave a cry, people passing leave a name." In use it means: Geese leave behind their call; people leave behind their reputation. How you live is what remains. 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: "geese passing leave a cry, people passing leave a name."
The reading
The wild geese do not know they are leaving sound behind them; it is simply what their passing does. People, similarly, leave a residue of how they moved through the world, and those who were there after the departure can read it. What remains is not the monument you intended but the trace you actually made. Live accordingly.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk proverb (yanyu)
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 Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 雁過留聲，人過留名 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 雁過留聲，人過留名 (yàn guò liú shēng rén guò liú míng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk proverb (yanyu). 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 雁過留聲，人過留名?
In Mandarin it is yàn guò liú shēng rén guò liú míng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 雁過留聲，人過留名 aloud in Mandarin.