諺語 · a single proverb
秋水共長天一色
Simplified: 秋水共长天一色
What does 秋水共長天一色 (qiū shuǐ gòng cháng tiān yī sè) mean?
秋水共長天一色 (qiū shuǐ gòng cháng tiān yī sè) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "Autumn waters merge with the endless sky in one color." In use it means: A poetic image of vast natural beauty where water and sky become indistinguishable. It evokes boundless expansiveness and the sublime unity of nature. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rabbit.
Literally: "Autumn waters merge with the endless sky in one color.."
The reading
Stand at the edge of the autumn lake and try to find where the water ends and the sky begins. You cannot. This is what vastness does: it erases the lines we draw between things. For one moment, up and down agree, and the whole world is a single brushstroke of blue.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Wang Bo (王勃), Tang dynasty, Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng (滕王阁序).
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 秋水共長天一色 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 秋水共長天一色 (qiū shuǐ gòng cháng tiān yī sè) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Wang Bo (王勃), Tang dynasty, Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng (滕王阁序).. 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 秋水共長天一色?
In Mandarin it is qiū shuǐ gòng cháng tiān yī sè. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 秋水共長天一色 aloud in Mandarin.