諺語 · a single proverb
天有不測風雲，人有旦夕禍福
Simplified: 天有不测风云，人有旦夕祸福
What does 天有不測風雲，人有旦夕禍福 (tiān yǒu bù cè fēng yún rén yǒu dàn xī huò fú) mean?
天有不測風雲，人有旦夕禍福 (tiān yǒu bù cè fēng yún rén yǒu dàn xī huò fú) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "the sky has unforeseen wind and cloud; people have morning-to-evening misfortune and fortune." In use it means: Life is unpredictable; fortune and misfortune can arrive without warning, just as weather changes unexpectedly. 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: "the sky has unforeseen wind and cloud; people have morning-to-evening misfortune and fortune."
The reading
The sky that was blue at breakfast will sometimes bring rain by midday, and not a single cloud gave warning. This is not cruelty-it is simply the nature of what we are standing inside. The wise do not curse the rain. They keep a coat nearby.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Chinese folk proverb 民間諺語; common Qing dynasty usage
Sits beside
冬至陽生春又來
dōng zhì yáng shēng chūn yòu lái
At the darkest moment of winter, yang energy is reborn and spring begins its return.
夜長夢多
yè cháng mèng duō
Delay leads to complications.
太公釣魚，願者上鉤
tài gōng diào yú yuàn zhě shàng gōu
The best way to attract people is not through trickery but through genuine worth.
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 Timing & Fortune's Turning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Snake, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 天有不測風雲，人有旦夕禍福 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 天有不測風雲，人有旦夕禍福 (tiān yǒu bù cè fēng yún rén yǒu dàn xī huò fú) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Chinese folk proverb 民間諺語; common Qing dynasty usage. 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 天有不測風雲，人有旦夕禍福?
In Mandarin it is tiān yǒu bù cè fēng yún rén yǒu dàn xī huò fú. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 天有不測風雲，人有旦夕禍福 aloud in Mandarin.