諺語 · a single proverb
死而後生
Simplified: 死而后生
What does 死而後生 (sǐ ér hòu shēng) mean?
死而後生 (sǐ ér hòu shēng) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "from death comes new life." In use it means: Sometimes you must let the old die completely before the new can be born; total ending as the prerequisite for fresh beginning. 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 Snake.
Literally: "from death comes new life."
The reading
The seed must cease being a seed before it can become a tree. The caterpillar must cease being a caterpillar before it can fly. Some transformations require a complete stop, not a gradual transition. The person who holds onto the old shape while trying to become the new one achieves neither. Let the old form go. The new one is waiting on the other side of the letting.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Sun Tzu 孫子兵法, Jiu Di 九地 (ch. 11); also Han Xin's strategy
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 Snake, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 死而後生 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 死而後生 (sǐ ér hòu shēng) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Sun Tzu 孫子兵法, Jiu Di 九地 (ch. 11); also Han Xin's strategy. 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 死而後生?
In Mandarin it is sǐ ér hòu shēng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 死而後生 aloud in Mandarin.