諺語 · a single proverb
亡國之音哀以思
Simplified: 亡国之音哀以思
What does 亡國之音哀以思 (wáng guó zhī yīn āi yǐ sī) mean?
亡國之音哀以思 (wáng guó zhī yīn āi yǐ sī) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "the music of a lost kingdom is sorrowful and reflective." In use it means: Art produced in decline carries a particular melancholy that reveals deeper truths about the times. 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 music of a lost kingdom is sorrowful and reflective."
The reading
When the kingdom is falling, the songs get more beautiful. There is a clarity that only comes from loss, a tenderness that only appears when the thing being described is already leaving. The saddest music teaches the most.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Book of Rites 禮記, Yue Ji 樂記
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 亡國之音哀以思 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 亡國之音哀以思 (wáng guó zhī yīn āi yǐ sī) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Book of Rites 禮記, Yue Ji 樂記. 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 亡國之音哀以思?
In Mandarin it is wáng guó zhī yīn āi yǐ sī. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 亡國之音哀以思 aloud in Mandarin.