諺語 · a single proverb
人生自古誰無死
Simplified: 人生自古谁无死
What does 人生自古誰無死 (rén shēng zì gǔ shuí wú sǐ) mean?
人生自古誰無死 (rén shēng zì gǔ shuí wú sǐ) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "since ancient times, who has not died." In use it means: Death is universal and inevitable; since everyone dies, what matters is how you live and what you leave behind. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Horse.
Literally: "since ancient times, who has not died."
The reading
Wen Tianxiang wrote this in prison, waiting for execution, and the words carried no fear. Not because he was brave in the way that ignores death, but because he was brave in the way that accepts it and asks the only question left: since the ending is written, what do I want the middle to say? That is the only question any of us is actually answering.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Wen Tianxiang 文天祥, Crossing the Lonely Sea (過零丁洋)
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 Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 人生自古誰無死 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 人生自古誰無死 (rén shēng zì gǔ shuí wú sǐ) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Wen Tianxiang 文天祥, Crossing the Lonely Sea (過零丁洋). 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 人生自古誰無死?
In Mandarin it is rén shēng zì gǔ shuí wú sǐ. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 人生自古誰無死 aloud in Mandarin.