Dào le dà chéngshì, hǎikuò píng yú yuè, tā hěnkuài chuǎng chū yī piàn tiāndì.
Once he reached the big city, with room to roam, he quickly carved out his own path.
Tips
history
Recorded in the Song-dynasty Buddhist text 《景德传灯录》 (volume 15), where it is attributed to Chan master Xuanlan. The full couplet 海阔凭鱼跃，天高任鸟飞 ('the sea is vast, the fish leaps freely; the sky is high, the bird flies at will') figures a boundless space for talent to flourish.
usage
Usually used together with its second line 天高任鸟飞 to form a parallel couplet.
