Wǒ yǐwéi zǒu cuò lù le, méi xiǎngdào qiánmiàn liǔ àn huā míng yòu yī cūn.
I thought I'd taken the wrong path — then ahead of me, another village appeared, and everything worked out.
Tips
history
From Lu You's (陆游) Song-dynasty poem 《游山西村》: 山重水复疑无路，柳暗花明又一村 — 'Mountains pile on mountains, streams wind on — I fear there is no road; then past shadowed willows and bright flowers, another village appears.' Almost always quoted with the first half for the setup.
usage
Very common metaphor for breakthroughs after apparent deadlock — in business, relationships, research, diplomacy. Often shortened to 柳暗花明.
