諺語 · a single proverb
小荷才露尖尖角
What does 小荷才露尖尖角 (xiǎo hé cái lù jiān jiān jiǎo) mean?
小荷才露尖尖角 (xiǎo hé cái lù jiān jiān jiǎo) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "the small lotus has just shown its sharp little tip." In use it means: A young talent is just beginning to show itself. Give it time and space. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rabbit.
Literally: "the small lotus has just shown its sharp little tip."
The reading
The lotus pad is still furled, barely above the waterline. But the dragonfly has already landed on it. Someone always notices before the crowd does. The point is not the tip. The point is the root system underneath the mud that pushed it up.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Yang Wanli 楊萬里, 小池 (Song dynasty)
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 Rabbit, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 小荷才露尖尖角 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 小荷才露尖尖角 (xiǎo hé cái lù jiān jiān jiǎo) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Yang Wanli 楊萬里, 小池 (Song dynasty). 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 小荷才露尖尖角?
In Mandarin it is xiǎo hé cái lù jiān jiān jiǎo. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 小荷才露尖尖角 aloud in Mandarin.