KANAE
297Japanese quotation 名言

秘すれば花

Hisureba hana

“Kept hidden, it becomes the flower.”

Attributed to Zeami · Muromachi

The meaning

What is shown entirely ceases to astonish; what is held back keeps its force. Zeami speaks of the actor's art — the lesson holds for every talent: do not play all your cards.

At the origin

The central precept of Zeami's Fūshikaden (around 1400), the founding treatise of Noh theatre.

The characters

  1. 秘すれば hisurebaif hidden
  2. 花

The complete word-by-word reading, in KANAE.

In practice

Keep a reserve in what you show: the effect will thank you.

Themes

In the collections · Yohaku, Fude

Similar proverbs

  1. 300 Do not forget the flower of your beginnings.
  2. 235 Answering the moment as it comes.
  3. 252 The pen and the sword, both ways.
  4. 020 Dumplings over flowers.
  5. 059 Not saying is the flower.

Related expressions

  1. 101 Over the moon, gathering clouds; over blossoms, wind.
  2. 111 Should we look at blossoms only in full bloom, at the moon only when it is clear?
  3. 115 The neighbor's flowers are redder.
  4. 136 Flowers, birds, wind, moon.

See also