天網恢恢,疏而不漏
Chinese
natural law | negligent; sparse; thin | and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast) |
not; no | funnel; to leak; to let out funnel; to leak; to let out; to divulge | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
trad. (天網恢恢,疏而不漏) | 天網恢恢 | , | 疏 | 而 | 不 | 漏 | |
simp. (天网恢恢,疏而不漏) | 天网恢恢 | , | 疏 | 而 | 不 | 漏 | |
Literally: “The law of nature is like a giant web, although sparsely meshed, nothing could slip through.” |
Etymology
From the 73rd chapter of the Tao Te Ching:
- 天之道,不爭而善勝,不應而善應,不召而自來,繟然而善謀。天網恢恢,疏而不失。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: Tao Te Ching, 4th century BCE
- Tiān zhī dào, bù zhēng ér shàn shèng, bù yìng ér shàn yìng, bù zhào ér zì lái, chánrán ér shàn móu. Tiānwǎnghuīhuī, shū ér bù shī. [Pinyin]
- The Tao of Nature, does not contend, yet easily wins, does not speak, yet always responds, does not summon, yet all things gather, does not contemplate as if at ease, yet all plans were devised perfectly. The law of nature is like a giant web, although sparsely meshed, nothing could slip through.
天之道,不争而善胜,不应而善应,不召而自来,𦈎然而善谋。天网恢恢,疏而不失。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation
Descendants
- → Japanese: 天網恢恢疎にして漏らさず (tenmō kaikai so ni shite morasazu) (calque)
- → Vietnamese: lưới trời lồng lộng, tuy thưa mà khó thoát (calque)
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