諺語 · a single proverb
心曠神怡
Simplified: 心旷神怡
What does 心曠神怡 (xīn kuàng shén yí) mean?
心曠神怡 (xīn kuàng shén yí) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "heart wide open, spirit at ease." In use it means: A state of complete inner peace and happiness. The feeling of standing on a hilltop with nothing pressing on your mind. 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 Goat.
Literally: "heart wide open, spirit at ease."
The reading
The heart has no walls around it. The spirit has settled into a chair. Nothing is chasing you. Nothing needs doing. For this one moment, the inside of your head is a quiet field with a view. This is what the architects of the Yueyang Pavilion were trying to build: a place where the heart opens and the spirit rests.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Fan Zhongyan 范仲淹, 岳陽樓記 (Song dynasty)
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 Nature, Seasons & Health, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 心曠神怡 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 心曠神怡 (xīn kuàng shén yí) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Fan Zhongyan 范仲淹, 岳陽樓記 (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 心曠神怡?
In Mandarin it is xīn kuàng shén yí. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 心曠神怡 aloud in Mandarin.