諺語 · a single proverb

春chūn有yǒu百bǎi花huā秋qiū有yǒu月yuè，夏xià有yǒu涼liáng風fēng冬dōng有yǒu雪xuě

chūn yǒu bǎi huā qiū yǒu yuè xià yǒu liáng fēng dōng yǒu xuě

What does 春有百花秋有月，夏有涼風冬有雪 (chūn yǒu bǎi huā qiū yǒu yuè xià yǒu liáng fēng dōng yǒu xuě) mean?

春有百花秋有月，夏有涼風冬有雪 (chūn yǒu bǎi huā qiū yǒu yuè xià yǒu liáng fēng dōng yǒu xuě) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "spring has hundred flowers, autumn has moon, summer has cool breeze, winter has snow." In use it means: Each season has its own beauty; if the mind is untroubled, every time of year is good. 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: "spring has hundred flowers, autumn has moon, summer has cool breeze, winter has snow."

The reading

Spring flower, autumn moon, summer wind, winter snow-the complaint about the season is always slightly wrong because each season holds its own particular gift and the grief is only in the comparison to another season's gift. The mind that is free enough to receive what each time of year actually offers finds nothing unacceptable. Every season is the right season for what it is.

What kind of proverb it is

Source Wumen Huikai 無門慧開·《無門關》 (Wú Mén Guān, Song Dynasty Chan text)

Sits beside

春江水暖鴨先知

chūn jiāng shuǐ nuǎn yā xiān zhī

Those closest to a situation are the first to notice changes.

一年之計在於春

yī nián zhī jì zài yú chūn

Spring is the season for planning the whole year.

春眠不覺曉

chūn mián bù jué xiǎo

In spring, one sleeps deeply and doesn't notice the dawn.

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 Rabbit, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.

Questions

Is 春有百花秋有月，夏有涼風冬有雪 a real Chinese proverb?

Yes. 春有百花秋有月，夏有涼風冬有雪 (chūn yǒu bǎi huā qiū yǒu yuè xià yǒu liáng fēng dōng yǒu xuě) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Wumen Huikai 無門慧開·《無門關》 (Wú Mén Guān, Song Dynasty Chan text). 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 春有百花秋有月，夏有涼風冬有雪?

In Mandarin it is chūn yǒu bǎi huā qiū yǒu yuè xià yǒu liáng fēng dōng yǒu xuě. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 春有百花秋有月，夏有涼風冬有雪 aloud in Mandarin.