Proverbs

One palm makes no applause.
A single tree makes no forest; one string makes no music.
Giving convenience to others is to give it to yourself.
A flying moth throws itself into a fire.
A friend made is a road paved; an enemy created is a wall built.
A chat with a friend is worth ten years of schooling.
Don’t hit one on the face; don’t grab one’s bowl at dinner.


A turnip cooked hastily may still have soil residue.
Honing the hatchet will not delay woodcutting.
More haste, less speed.
A deliberate inaction is better than a blind action
A man’s heart is indiscernible behind his chest.
A mantis stalking a cicada is unaware of an oriole behind it.
When drawing water from a well, never forget the well diggers.
A smile may conceal a dagger.
A flower deliberately grown may not bloom; but a sapling planted accidently may grow into a tree.

Yuan, Haiwang (2006) The Magic Lotus Lantern and Other Tales from the Han Chinese. Libraries Unlimted: Westport, Conn.

Hessler, P. (2006). Oracle Bones. Harper Collins Publishers: NY.