無妄之災
Chinese edit
not have | absurd; fantastic | 's; him/her/it; this | disaster; calamity | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
trad. (無妄之災) | 無 | 妄 | 之 | 災 | |
simp. (无妄之灾) | 无 | 妄 | 之 | 灾 |
Etymology edit
From I Ching, Hexagram 25 (《易经·无妄》):
- 六三:无妄之災,或繫之牛,行人之得,邑人之災。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: I Ching, 11th – 8th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
- Liù sān: wú wàng zhī zāi, huò jì zhī niú, xíngrén zhī dé, yìrén zhī zāi. [Pinyin]
- The third SIX, divided, shows calamity happening to one who is free from insincerity - as in the case of an ox that has been tied up. A passer by finds it (and carries it off), while the people in the neighbourhood have the calamity (of being accused and apprehended).
六三:无妄之灾,或系之牛,行人之得,邑人之灾。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation edit
Idiom edit
無妄之災