諺語 · a single proverb
君子之過，如日月之食
What does 君子之過，如日月之食 (jūn zǐ zhī guò rú rì yuè zhī shí) mean?
君子之過，如日月之食 (jūn zǐ zhī guò rú rì yuè zhī shí) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "the noble person's fault, like an eclipse of the sun or moon." In use it means: A noble person's faults are like eclipses-visible to all, but they acknowledge and correct them openly. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dragon.
Literally: "the noble person's fault, like an eclipse of the sun or moon."
The reading
The eclipse is visible to everyone watching the sky, and the noble person does not hide behind a cloud. When the error is made, it is made in the same light as everything else, acknowledged without concealment, and the sky afterward is the same sky. The fault admitted completely becomes the eclipse that passes, and what was obscured briefly is bright again.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Analects of Confucius 論語·子張 (Zǐ Zhāng XIX)
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 Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 君子之過，如日月之食 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 君子之過，如日月之食 (jūn zǐ zhī guò rú rì yuè zhī shí) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Analects of Confucius 論語·子張 (Zǐ Zhāng XIX). 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 君子之過，如日月之食?
In Mandarin it is jūn zǐ zhī guò rú rì yuè zhī shí. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 君子之過，如日月之食 aloud in Mandarin.