諺語 · a single proverb
天涯共此時
Simplified: 天涯共此时
What does 天涯共此時 (tiān yá gòng cǐ shí) mean?
天涯共此時 (tiān yá gòng cǐ shí) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "under the same sky at the same moment, even at the ends of the earth." In use it means: Separated by distance but sharing the same moment in time; the invisible connection of simultaneity across geography. 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: "under the same sky at the same moment, even at the ends of the earth."
The reading
You are looking at the same moon. The same moonlight that is on your face is on theirs, an ocean away. Distance separated the bodies. Time did not separate the moment. And inside that shared moment, the distance is less than it measures.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Zhang Jiuling 張九齡, Wang Yue Huai Yuan 望月懷遠
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 Home, Family & Roots, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 天涯共此時 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 天涯共此時 (tiān yá gòng cǐ shí) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Zhang Jiuling 張九齡, Wang Yue Huai Yuan 望月懷遠. 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 天涯共此時?
In Mandarin it is tiān yá gòng cǐ shí. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 天涯共此時 aloud in Mandarin.