天tiān有yǒu時shí地dì有yǒu氣qì材cái有yǒu美měi工gōng有yǒu巧qiǎo

What does 天有時地有氣材有美工有巧 (tiān yǒu shí dì yǒu qì cái yǒu měi gōng yǒu qiǎo) mean?

天有時地有氣材有美工有巧 (tiān yǒu shí dì yǒu qì cái yǒu měi gōng yǒu qiǎo) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "Heaven has its seasons, earth has its qi, materials have their beauty, craftsmen have their skill." In use it means: True craftsmanship depends on four aligned forces: the right timing from heaven, the right energy from the land, the natural beauty of the material, and the trained skill of the artisan. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Tiger.

Literally: "Heaven has its seasons, earth has its qi, materials have their beauty, craftsmen have their skill."

The reading

This ancient formula from the Zhou dynasty Artificers' Record lays out the conditions for perfect work. No amount of skill compensates for poor materials, and no quality of material redeems clumsy hands. The craftsman who waits for the right season, selects the right wood or clay, and reads the grain of what nature provides stands at the intersection of all four forces. When they converge, the result feels less made than inevitable.

What kind of proverb it is

• Typeshīcí 詩詞
• FocusLooks back
• Element土 Earth
• Zodiac tie虎 Year of the Tiger

Source Kaogong Ji (考工記 / Artificers' Record), Zhou dynasty, c. 5th century BCE

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 Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.