貴人 = valuable person = benefactor?

What is a 貴人? How is it translated in English?

Here are 2 definitions I found from the internet which I find quite close to the meaning:

"你生命中的貴人是在你生命中(曾)在任何一個時間或某個事情上面幫助妳的人，只要你認定他幫助(過)你他就是你的貴人。在中文裡頭，貴人有可能只是有一面之緣的清潔工，在跟你聊天的過程當中，不經意地講了一句你正需要的話，點醒了你對某件事情的疑惑，讓你突然領悟該怎麼解決某個難題，他就算是你的貴人了。"

"Chinese believe that 貴人 = valuable person who helps/enlightens us at a crucial time, who are very often seen as part of the divine plan. Therefore, these answer providers are, in a Chinese way, kind of like your 貴人."

I personally think a more suitable word for 貴人 in english is "benefactor", though not in the total sense.

How many times in ur life have u met someone like tat? And how many times have we ourselves been someone else's 貴人?

I have lost count on the number of 貴人 I have met in my life (hmm...sounds rather ungrateful but I really cant recall at the moment), but I would like to think I have been other people's 貴人 and gave them a helping hand along the tough times in their lives.

Been told recently that I am a person's 貴人. Was a little embarrassed at first when I heard that, kept thinking that I din really do much to help except talking and advising. However, as I cheer my friend up bit by bit, I realised that maybe I really did make a difference.

Thinking back, I believe I have also at other points in my past chanced on opportunities to help other friends.

Simple words of encouragement, comforting of a tired soul, "wake up call" for the lost/confused and empathy for another's fate.....these are some really valuable offers of help rather than the usual monetary assistance than most pple need in the present world (lots of pple are facing financial difficulties).

It is actually great to be someone's 貴人...not for the possibility of benefitting from them but for the pure joy of giving someone a hand to stand up bravely through their troubled times. Who knows? We may be in need of a 貴人 ourselves at some point in future and it will be comforting to know that maybe someone out there will be more than willing to help us too. ^_^