天若有情天亦老

tiān ruò yǒu qíng tiān yì lǎo

quotation

Meanings

1 if heaven had feelings, heaven too would grow old
2 the grief of this world would age even the eternal sky

Characters

feeling, emotion

Examples

HSK 7-9

读到这段家国沦亡的历史，真让人感慨天若有情天亦老。

Dú dào zhè duàn jiāguó lúnwáng de lìshǐ, zhēn ràng rén gǎnkǎi tiān ruò yǒu qíng tiān yì lǎo.

Reading this passage of national ruin, one truly sighs: "if heaven had feelings, heaven too would grow old".

HSK 7-9

天若有情天亦老，人间正道是沧桑。

Tiān ruò yǒu qíng tiān yì lǎo, rénjiān zhèngdào shì cāngsāng.

If heaven had feelings, heaven too would grow old; the true path in the human world is one of vast vicissitude.

Tips

history

Originally from 李贺's (mid-Tang) 《金铜仙人辞汉歌》: 衰兰送客咸阳道，天若有情天亦老 - 'Withering orchids see off the traveler on the Xianyang road; if heaven had feelings, heaven too would grow old.' Later given new life by 毛泽东 in 《七律·人民解放军占领南京》: 天若有情天亦老，人间正道是沧桑 - Mao's couplet is what most modern readers know.

usage

Today usually quoted in Mao's pairing with 人间正道是沧桑 ('the true path in the human world is one of vast change'). In Li He's original the counter-line is different.

Stroke Order

天 tiān

若 ruò

有 yǒu

情 qíng

亦 yì

老 lǎo