“As the heavens gain in time so does the man in years.” (天增歲月人增壽 )

Nationality: Taiwanese
Performance Date: April 2013
Primary Language: Chinese
Language: English

Chinese:

天增歲月人增壽

English:

“As the heavens gain in time so does the man in years.”

 

This proverb, like the others, has several ways it can be read, and understood.  The informant describes this one as comparing the lifespan of a single person to that of the universe (or, in a more spiritual sense, the “heavens”).  It can be both read to inspire awe in humanity or, alternatively, reverence to the eternal nature of the heavens.