諺語 · a single proverb
水中撈月一場空
Simplified: 水中捞月一场空
What does 水中撈月一場空 (shuǐ zhōng lāo yuè yī chǎng kōng) mean?
水中撈月一場空 (shuǐ zhōng lāo yuè yī chǎng kōng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "fishing moon from water, one whole emptiness." In use it means: Futile effort to grasp what cannot be caught; chasing an impossible illusion. 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 Rabbit.
Literally: "fishing moon from water, one whole emptiness."
The reading
The moon in the water is real as an image and non-existent as a thing to hold. The hand reaches in and closes on the impression of moonlight and nothing more. To know the difference between the image of what you want and the actual thing requires a clarity that desire does not naturally provide. Look up; the moon is already where it is.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk story (common Zen-Buddhist and Taoist metaphor)
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 Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 水中撈月一場空 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 水中撈月一場空 (shuǐ zhōng lāo yuè yī chǎng kōng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk story (common Zen-Buddhist and Taoist metaphor). 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 水中撈月一場空?
In Mandarin it is shuǐ zhōng lāo yuè yī chǎng kōng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 水中撈月一場空 aloud in Mandarin.