諺語 · a single proverb
樹倒猢猻散
Simplified: 树倒猢狲散
What does 樹倒猢猻散 (shù dǎo hú sūn sàn) mean?
樹倒猢猻散 (shù dǎo hú sūn sàn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter." In use it means: When a powerful patron falls, those who depended on them quickly disappear. 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 Monkey.
Literally: "when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter."
The reading
Loyalty built on advantage lasts only as long as the advantage does. The monkeys loved the tree for its branches, not for itself. When you build a circle, notice who stays when the branches are bare. Those are the ones worth keeping.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Song dynasty saying, recorded in Pang Yuanying's 龐元英 Tanyuan 談苑
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 Friendship, Trust & Speech, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Monkey, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 樹倒猢猻散 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 樹倒猢猻散 (shù dǎo hú sūn sàn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Song dynasty saying, recorded in Pang Yuanying's 龐元英 Tanyuan 談苑. 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 樹倒猢猻散?
In Mandarin it is shù dǎo hú sūn sàn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 樹倒猢猻散 aloud in Mandarin.