諺語 · a single proverb
人間有味是清歡
Simplified: 人间有味是清欢
What does 人間有味是清歡 (rénjiān yǒu wèi shì qīng huān) mean?
人間有味是清歡 (rénjiān yǒu wèi shì qīng huān) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "The true flavor of the human world is simple joy." In use it means: Su Shi wrote this after a modest meal of wild vegetables and simple tea, concluding that the deepest pleasure in life comes not from extravagance but from quiet, unadorned moments of contentment. 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: "The true flavor of the human world is simple joy.."
The reading
The most memorable meals often involve the least remarkable ingredients. Su Shi arrived at this line after eating wild greens on a cold day, and the joy he felt had nothing to do with what was on the plate. Simple pleasures are not lesser pleasures; they are what remains after everything performative has been stripped away. The flavor he describes is not in the food but in the freedom from needing anything more. Knowing when you already have enough is itself a kind of feast.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Su Shi, Song dynasty, from '浣溪沙·細雨斜風作曉寒'
Sits beside
井底之蛙
jǐng dǐ zhī wā
Someone with an extremely narrow view of the world, who mistakes the small circle of sky above the well for the whole sky.
冰凍三尺，非一日之寒
bīng dòng sān chǐ, fēi yī rì zhī hán
Nothing deep-a skill, a habit, a ruin-forms overnight.
心急吃不了熱豆腐
xīn jí chī bù liǎo rè dòu fu
Impatience will not speed things up.
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 Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 人間有味是清歡 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 人間有味是清歡 (rénjiān yǒu wèi shì qīng huān) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Su Shi, Song dynasty, from '浣溪沙·細雨斜風作曉寒'. 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 人間有味是清歡?
In Mandarin it is rénjiān yǒu wèi shì qīng huān. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 人間有味是清歡 aloud in Mandarin.