先天下之憂而憂，後天下之樂而樂

先天下之憂而憂，後天下之樂而樂

See also: 先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐

Chinese

		Show concern before the world does; enjoy yourself after the world does	under heaven; the world; everything under the sky under heaven; the world; everything under the sky; all under heaven	's; him/her/it; this	worried	and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)	worried		back; behind; rear back; behind; rear; afterwards; after; later	under heaven; the world; everything under the sky under heaven; the world; everything under the sky; all under heaven	's; him/her/it; this	music; happy; laugh music; happy; laugh; cheerful	and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)	music; happy; laugh music; happy; laugh; cheerful
trad. (先天下之憂而憂，後天下之樂而樂)		先	天下	之	憂	而	憂	，	後	天下	之	樂	而	樂
simp. (先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐)		先	天下	之	忧	而	忧	，	后	天下	之	乐	而	乐

Etymology

From Yueyang Lou Ji by 范仲淹 (Fan Zhongyan):

然則何時而樂耶？其必曰：「先天下之憂而憂，後天下之樂而樂」歟！ [Classical Chinese, trad.]

---

然则何时而乐耶？其必曰：“先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐”欤！ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: 范仲淹 (Fan Zhongyan), 《岳陽樓記》

Ránzé héshí ér yuè yē? Qí bì yuē: “Xiān tiānxià zhī yōu ér yōu, hòu tiānxià zhī yuè ér yuè” yú! [Pinyin]

So when will they be joyful? They will surely say, "Be concerned before the world is, and be joyful only after the world is joyful."

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xiān tiānxià zhī yōu ér yōu, hòu tiānxià zhī lè ér lè

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄢ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄓ ㄧㄡ ㄦˊ ㄧㄡ, ㄏㄡˋ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄓ ㄌㄜˋ ㄦˊ ㄌㄜˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): sin¹ tin¹ haa⁶ zi¹ jau¹ ji⁴ jau¹, hau⁶ tin¹ haa⁶ zi¹ lok⁶ ji⁴ lok⁶

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xiān tiānxià zhī yōu ér yōu, hòu tiānxià zhī lè ér lè
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄢ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄓ ㄧㄡ ㄦˊ ㄧㄡ, ㄏㄡˋ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄓ ㄌㄜˋ ㄦˊ ㄌㄜˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sian tiansià jhih you ér you, hòu tiansià jhih lè ér lè
    • Wade–Giles: hsien¹ tʻien¹-hsia⁴ chih¹ yu¹ êrh² yu¹- hou⁴ tʻien¹-hsia⁴ chih¹ lê⁴ êrh² lê⁴
    • Yale: syān tyān-syà jr̄ yōu ér yōu-, hòu tyān-syà jr̄ lè ér lè
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shian tianshiah jy iou erl iou, how tianshiah jy leh erl leh
    • Palladius: сянь тянься чжи ю эр ю, хоу тянься чжи лэ эр лэ (sjanʹ tjanʹsja čži ju er ju, xou tjanʹsja čži lɛ er lɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕjɛn⁵⁵ tʰjɛn⁵⁵ ɕjä⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ joʊ̯⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ joʊ̯⁵⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹ tʰjɛn⁵⁵ ɕjä⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ lɤ⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ lɤ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: sin¹ tin¹ haa⁶ zi¹ jau¹ ji⁴ jau¹, hau⁶ tin¹ haa⁶ zi¹ lok⁶ ji⁴ lok⁶
    • Yale: sīn tīn hah jī yāu yìh yāu, hauh tīn hah jī lohk yìh lohk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sin¹ tin¹ haa⁶ dzi¹ jau¹ ji⁴ jau¹, hau⁶ tin¹ haa⁶ dzi¹ lok⁹ ji⁴ lok⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: xin¹ tin¹ ha⁶ ji¹ yeo¹ yi⁴ yeo¹, heo⁶ tin¹ ha⁶ ji¹ log⁶ yi⁴ log⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siːn⁵⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵ haː²² t͡siː⁵⁵ jɐu̯⁵⁵ jiː²¹ jɐu̯⁵⁵ hɐu̯²² tʰiːn⁵⁵ haː²² t͡siː⁵⁵ lɔːk̚² jiː²¹ lɔːk̚²/

Idiom

先天下之憂而憂，後天下之樂而樂

1. be the first to show concern, and the last to enjoy comforts