杞人憂天

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See also: 杞人忧天

Chinese

(willow); name of a feudal state man; person; people worried day; sky; heaven
trad. (杞人憂天) 杞 人 憂 天
simp. (杞人忧天) 杞 人 忧 天
Literally: “the man of Qi fear that the sky might fall”.
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Etymology

From a story in Liezi, early first millennium, "Heaven's Gifts", adapted from the translation by A. C. Graham:

杞國有人，憂天地崩墜，身亡所寄，廢寢食者。又有憂彼之所憂者，因往曉之，曰：「天，積氣耳，亡處亡氣。若屈伸呼吸，終日在天中行止，奈何憂崩墜乎？」
其人曰：「天果積氣，日月星宿不當墜邪？」
曉之者曰：「日月星宿，亦積氣中之有光耀者，只使墜，亦不能有所中傷。」
其人曰：「奈地壞何？」
曉者曰：「地積塊耳，充塞四虛，亡處亡塊。若躇步跐蹈，終日在地上行止，奈何憂其壞？」
其人舍然大喜，曉之者亦舍然大喜。
杞国有人，忧天地崩坠，身亡所寄，废寝食者。又有忧彼之所忧者，因往晓之，曰：「天，积气耳，亡处亡气。若屈伸呼吸，终日在天中行止，奈何忧崩坠乎？」
其人曰：「天果积气，日月星宿不当坠邪？」
晓之者曰：「日月星宿，亦积气中之有光耀者，只使坠，亦不能有所中伤。」
其人曰：「奈地坏何？」
晓者曰：「地积块耳，充塞四虚，亡处亡块。若躇步跐蹈，终日在地上行止，奈何忧其坏？」
其人舍然大喜，晓之者亦舍然大喜。
From: Liezi, 1st – 5th century CE
Qǐ guó yǒu rén, yōu tiāndì bēngzhuì, shēn wáng suǒ jì, fèi qǐnshí zhě. Yòu yǒu yōu bǐ zhī suǒ yōu zhě, yīn wǎng xiǎo zhī, yuē: “Tiān, jīqì ěr, wáng chù wáng qì. Ruò qūshēn hūxī, zhōngrì zài tiān zhōng xíngzhǐ, nàihé yōu bēngzhuì hū?”
Qí rén yuē: “Tiān guǒ jīqì, rìyuè xīngsù bùdāng zhuì xié?”
Xiǎo zhī zhě yuē: “Rìyuè xīngsù, yì jīqì zhōng zhī yǒu guāngyào zhě, zhǐ shǐ zhuì, yì bùnéng yǒu suǒ zhōngshāng.”
Qí rén yuē: “Nài dì huài hé?”
Xiǎo zhě yuē: “Dì jīkuài ěr, chōngsài sì xū, wáng chù wáng kuài. Ruò chú bù cīdǎo, zhōngrì zài dìshàng xíngzhǐ, nàihé yōu qí huài?”
Qí rén shèrán dàxǐ, xiǎo zhī zhě yì shèrán dàxǐ.
There was a man of Qi country who was so worried that heaven and earth might fall down, and his body would have nowhere to lodge, that he forgot to eat and sleep. There was another man who was worried that he should be so worried about it, and therefore went to enlighten him, saying, "Heaven is nothing but the accumulated air; there is no place where there is not air. You walk and stand all day inside heaven, stretching and bending, breathing in and breathing out; why should you worry about it falling down?"
The man said, "If heaven really is accumulated air, shouldn't the sun and moon and stars fall down?"
The man who sought to enlighten him said, "The sun and moon and stars are air which shines inside the accumulated air. Even if they did fall down, they couldn't hit or harm anyone."
The man said, "What about the earth giving way?"
The man who sought to enlighten him said, "The earth is nothing but accumulated soil, filling the void in all four directions; there is no place where there is not soil. You walk and stand all day on the earth, stamping about with abrupt spurts and halts; why should you worry about it giving way?"
The man was satisfied and greatly cheered; and so was the man who enlightened him.

Pronunciation

Idiom

杞人憂天

  1. to have groundless fears

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (杞人憂天):
  • → Korean: 기인우천(杞人憂天) (giinucheon)

→ Japanese: 杞憂

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