諺語 · a single proverb
山重水複疑無路
Simplified: 山重水复疑无路
What does 山重水複疑無路 (shān chóng shuǐ fù yí wú lù) mean?
山重水複疑無路 (shān chóng shuǐ fù yí wú lù) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "mountains fold upon mountains, waters double back, suspect no road." In use it means: When things seem utterly hopeless and no way forward appears-the prelude to unexpected hope. 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 Tiger.
Literally: "mountains fold upon mountains, waters double back, suspect no road."
The reading
The path that seems to dead-end against a mountain has not always ended; sometimes the mountain simply has not yet shown you the pass. Despair at the fold of the road is premature cartography, drawn too early in the journey. Hold on a little longer and let the map correct itself.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Lu You 陸遊·《遊山西村》 (Yóu Shān Xī Cūn, Song Dynasty poem)
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 Adversity & Resilience, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 山重水複疑無路 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 山重水複疑無路 (shān chóng shuǐ fù yí wú lù) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Lu You 陸遊·《遊山西村》 (Yóu Shān Xī Cūn, Song Dynasty poem). 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 山重水複疑無路?
In Mandarin it is shān chóng shuǐ fù yí wú lù. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 山重水複疑無路 aloud in Mandarin.