126Japanese proverb ことわざ
一葉落ちて天下の秋を知る
いちようおちててんかのあきをしるIchiyō ochite tenka no aki o shiru
“One leaf falls, and we know autumn is coming to the world.”
The meaning
Great changes announce themselves by small signs. Reading the first leaf means seeing the season coming — in nature as in human affairs.
At the origin
An image from the Huainanzi, become a Japanese proverb.
The characters
In practice
Note the small early signs around you: they speak early.
Editorial note
Classical Chinese origin (Huainanzi).
Themes
Similar proverbs
- 106 秋の日は釣瓶落とし The autumn sun drops like a well bucket.
- 150 一を聞いて十を知る Hear one, understand ten.
- 298 天は人の上に人を造らず人の下に人を造らず Heaven creates no man above other men, nor any man below.
- 110 雪は天から送られた手紙である Snow is a letter sent from the sky.
- 003 千里の道も一歩から A journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step.