風行草偃

Chinese

	to spread or proceed quickly; to catch on; to be popular	to have high reputation or prestige
trad. (風行草偃)	風行	草偃
simp. (风行草偃)	风行	草偃
Literally: “The wind blows and the grass bends”.

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 12 (《論語·顏淵》):

季康子問政於孔子曰：「如殺無道，以就有道，何如？」孔子對曰：「子爲政，焉用殺？子欲善，而民善矣。君子之德，風；小人之德，草；草上之風，必偃。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

季康子问政于孔子曰：「如杀无道，以就有道，何如？」孔子对曰：「子为政，焉用杀？子欲善，而民善矣。君子之德，风；小人之德，草；草上之风，必偃。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Jìkāngzǐ wèn zhèng yú kǒngzǐ yuē: “Rú shā wúdào, yǐ jiù yǒu dào, hérú?” Kǒngzǐ duì yuē: “Zǐ wèizhèng, yān yòng shā? Zǐ yù shàn, ér mín shàn yǐ. Jūnzǐ zhī dé, fēng; xiǎorén zhī dé, cǎo; cǎo shàng zhī fēng, bì yǎn.” [Pinyin]

Chi K'ang asked Confucius about government, saying, "What do you say to killing the unprincipled for the good of the principled?" Confucius replied, "Sir, in carrying on your government, why should you use killing at all? Let your evinced desires be for what is good, and the people will be good. The relation between superiors and inferiors, is like that between the wind and the grass. The grass must bend, when the wind blows across it."

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): fēngxíngcǎoyǎn

(Zhuyin): ㄈㄥㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄘㄠˇ ㄧㄢˇ
Cantonese (Jyutping): fung¹ hang⁴ cou² jin²

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: fēngxíngcǎoyǎn [Phonetic: fēngxíngcáoyǎn]
  - Zhuyin: ㄈㄥㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄘㄠˇ ㄧㄢˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: fongsíngcǎoyǎn
  - Wade–Giles: fêng¹-hsing²-tsʻao³-yen³
  - Yale: fēng-syíng-tsǎu-yǎn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: fengshyngtsaoyean
  - Palladius: фэнсинцаоянь (fɛnsincaojanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /fɤŋ⁵⁵ ɕiŋ³⁵ t͡sʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ jɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: fung¹ hang⁴ cou² jin²
  - Yale: fūng hàhng chóu yín
  - Cantonese Pinyin: fung¹ hang⁴ tsou² jin²
  - Guangdong Romanization: fung¹ heng⁴ cou² yin²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /fʊŋ⁵⁵ hɐŋ²¹ t͡sʰou̯³⁵ jiːn³⁵/

Idiom

風行草偃

to civilize the masses with one's virtuous conduct