諺語 · a single proverb
一張一弛
Simplified: 一张一弛
What does 一張一弛 (yī zhāng yī chí) mean?
一張一弛 (yī zhāng yī chí) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "one tightening, one loosening." In use it means: Alternating between tension and relaxation; the rhythm of work and rest that sustains long-term performance. 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: "one tightening, one loosening."
The reading
The bow that stays strung breaks. The bow that is never strung is useless. The art is in the alternation: pull tight when the moment requires it, release when it does not. A person who works without rest is not disciplined. They are brittle. A person who rests without working is not relaxed. They are stagnant.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Book of Rites 禮記, Za Ji 雜記
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 一張一弛 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 一張一弛 (yī zhāng yī chí) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Book of Rites 禮記, Za Ji 雜記. 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 一張一弛?
In Mandarin it is yī zhāng yī chí. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 一張一弛 aloud in Mandarin.