諺語 · a single proverb
塞翁失馬，焉知非福
Simplified: 塞翁失马，焉知非福
What does 塞翁失馬，焉知非福 (sài wēng shī mǎ yān zhī fēi fú) mean?
塞翁失馬，焉知非福 (sài wēng shī mǎ yān zhī fēi fú) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "the old man lost his horse; who knows if it is not a blessing." In use it means: What seems like misfortune may turn out to be fortunate; do not judge events too quickly. 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 Horse.
Literally: "the old man lost his horse; who knows if it is not a blessing."
The reading
The horse ran away. Bad luck. It came back with two wild horses. Good luck. His son rode one and broke his leg. Bad luck. The army came for young men and passed his son by. Good luck. The story is not over. It is never over.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Huainanzi 淮南子, Ren Jian Xun 人間訓
Sits beside
冬至陽生春又來
dōng zhì yáng shēng chūn yòu lái
At the darkest moment of winter, yang energy is reborn and spring begins its return.
夜長夢多
yè cháng mèng duō
Delay leads to complications.
太公釣魚，願者上鉤
tài gōng diào yú yuàn zhě shàng gōu
The best way to attract people is not through trickery but through genuine worth.
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 Timing & Fortune's Turning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 塞翁失馬，焉知非福 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 塞翁失馬，焉知非福 (sài wēng shī mǎ yān zhī fēi fú) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Huainanzi 淮南子, Ren Jian Xun 人間訓. 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 塞翁失馬，焉知非福?
In Mandarin it is sài wēng shī mǎ yān zhī fēi fú. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 塞翁失馬，焉知非福 aloud in Mandarin.