三sān年nián不bù飛fēi，一yī飛fēi沖chōng天tiān

What does 三年不飛，一飛沖天 (sān nián bù fēi yī fēi chōng tiān) mean?

三年不飛，一飛沖天 (sān nián bù fēi yī fēi chōng tiān) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "three years no flying, one flight pierce the sky." In use it means: After a long period of silence or preparation, make a spectacular and lasting achievement. 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 Rooster.

Literally: "three years no flying, one flight pierce the sky."

The reading

The great bird grounds itself for three years while the smaller ones chirp and fly about in their daily hurry. It is not asleep but accumulating something that cannot be rushed. The sky is patient, and so is the bird that is preparing to split it. One flight, when the time is right, is enough.

What kind of proverb it is

• Typeyànyǔ 諺語
• FocusLooks ahead
• Element火 Fire
• Zodiac tie雞 Year of the Rooster

Source Shi Ji 史記·滑稽列傳 (Huájī biography); also Zuozhuan

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 Timing & Fortune's Turning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.