諺語 · a single proverb
至樂無樂，至譽無譽
Simplified: 至乐无乐，至誉无誉
What does 至樂無樂，至譽無譽 (zhì lè wú lè, zhì yù wú yù) mean?
至樂無樂，至譽無譽 (zhì lè wú lè, zhì yù wú yù) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "The highest joy is no joy; the highest praise is no praise." In use it means: True happiness transcends the feeling of pleasure, and genuine honor does not depend on external recognition. 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 Pig.
Literally: "The highest joy is no joy; the highest praise is no praise."
The reading
The person chasing happiness treats it like a bird that keeps flying away. The person who stops chasing finds the bird was sitting on their shoulder the whole time. Zhuangzi saw that ordinary pleasure always carries the seed of its own exhaustion. What lies beyond the cycle of excitement and disappointment is something steadier, something that does not need a name. The highest praise, likewise, never needs an audience to confirm it.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Zhuangzi, Zhile (Supreme Happiness chapter), Warring States period
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 Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 至樂無樂，至譽無譽 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 至樂無樂，至譽無譽 (zhì lè wú lè, zhì yù wú yù) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Zhuangzi, Zhile (Supreme Happiness chapter), Warring States period. 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 至樂無樂，至譽無譽?
In Mandarin it is zhì lè wú lè, zhì yù wú yù. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 至樂無樂，至譽無譽 aloud in Mandarin.