諺語 · a single proverb
一片冰心在玉壺
Simplified: 一片冰心在玉壶
What does 一片冰心在玉壺 (yī piàn bīng xīn zài yù hú) mean?
一片冰心在玉壺 (yī piàn bīng xīn zài yù hú) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "one piece of ice heart in jade vessel." In use it means: A pure and incorruptible heart kept clean within like ice in jade; integrity despite distance or difficulty. 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: "one piece of ice heart in jade vessel."
The reading
The heart held pure like ice in the cold jade of the self remains unclouded by the heat of the world's opinions. Distance cannot dilute it, difficulty cannot discolor it, and the jade vessel does not require the world's approval to hold what it holds. This is what integrity looks like from the inside.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Wang Changling 王昌齡·《芙蓉樓送辛漸》 (Fú Róng Lóu Sòng Xīn Jiàn, Tang Dynasty poem)
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 Snake, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 一片冰心在玉壺 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 一片冰心在玉壺 (yī piàn bīng xīn zài yù hú) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Wang Changling 王昌齡·《芙蓉樓送辛漸》 (Fú Róng Lóu Sòng Xīn Jiàn, Tang Dynasty poem). 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 一片冰心在玉壺?
In Mandarin it is yī piàn bīng xīn zài yù hú. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 一片冰心在玉壺 aloud in Mandarin.