諺語 · a single proverb
明日復明日，明日何其多
Simplified: 明日复明日，明日何其多
What does 明日復明日，明日何其多 (míng rì fù míng rì míng rì hé qí duō) mean?
明日復明日，明日何其多 (míng rì fù míng rì míng rì hé qí duō) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "tomorrow again tomorrow, how many tomorrows there are." In use it means: Beware of endless procrastination; there will always be another tomorrow, until there isn't. 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 Monkey.
Literally: "tomorrow again tomorrow, how many tomorrows there are."
The reading
Tomorrow has never yet arrived to do what was left for it. It always arrives as today, wearing today's face and full of today's other commitments, and the thing that was going to happen tomorrow becomes the thing going to happen tomorrow again. The only day that exists for doing is the day that is currently happening. Today is the only tomorrow that ever arrived.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Wen Jia 文嘉·《明日歌》 (Míng Rì Gē, Song of Tomorrow, Ming Dynasty)
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 Wealth, Work & Diligence, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Monkey, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 明日復明日，明日何其多 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 明日復明日，明日何其多 (míng rì fù míng rì míng rì hé qí duō) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Wen Jia 文嘉·《明日歌》 (Míng Rì Gē, Song of Tomorrow, Ming Dynasty). 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 明日復明日，明日何其多?
In Mandarin it is míng rì fù míng rì míng rì hé qí duō. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 明日復明日，明日何其多 aloud in Mandarin.