諺語 · a single proverb
水至清則無魚
Simplified: 水至清则无鱼
What does 水至清則無魚 (shuǐ zhì qīng zé wú yú) mean?
水至清則無魚 (shuǐ zhì qīng zé wú yú) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "when water is too clear, there are no fish." In use it means: Excessive strictness or purity leaves no room for life; a degree of tolerance is necessary for anything to thrive. 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 Rat.
Literally: "when water is too clear, there are no fish."
The reading
The fish need the murk. Not the pollution, but the complexity, the little imperfections that give them places to hide and feed. The pond that is perfectly clear is perfectly sterile. And so is the organization, the family, or the friendship that demands absolute purity from every member.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Ban Gu 班固, Dongfang Shuo Zhuan 東方朔傳 in Han Shu 漢書
Sits beside
上善若水
shàng shàn ruò shuǐ
The finest virtue is like water, which benefits all things and flows to the low places without contending.
大道至簡
dà dào zhì jiǎn
The deepest truths are plain.
天下之至柔，馳騁天下之至堅
tiān xià zhī zhì róu chí chěng tiān xià zhī zhì jiān
The most yielding force in the world overcomes the most unyielding.
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 The Way of Water, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 水至清則無魚 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 水至清則無魚 (shuǐ zhì qīng zé wú yú) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Ban Gu 班固, Dongfang Shuo Zhuan 東方朔傳 in Han Shu 漢書. 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 水至清則無魚?
In Mandarin it is shuǐ zhì qīng zé wú yú. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 水至清則無魚 aloud in Mandarin.