諺語 · a single proverb
天高雲淡
What does 天高雲淡 (tiān gāo yún dàn) mean?
天高雲淡 (tiān gāo yún dàn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "sky high, clouds thin." In use it means: Clear autumn skies with high, thin clouds; a feeling of spaciousness and serenity. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dog.
Literally: "sky high, clouds thin."
The reading
The sky of autumn does not fill itself up with the heavy clouds of summer. It stretches without obstruction to its highest pitch, and the few clouds there are drift at the altitude of things that have arrived and are not worried about where they are going. Some days the world itself demonstrates what serenity looks like, and today is one of those days.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese seasonal expression (common in poetry and folk culture)
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 Nature, Seasons & Health, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Rabbit.
Questions
Is 天高雲淡 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 天高雲淡 (tiān gāo yún dàn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese seasonal expression (common in poetry and folk culture). 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 天高雲淡?
In Mandarin it is tiān gāo yún dàn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 天高雲淡 aloud in Mandarin.