A Chebychev net obeying Sine-Gordon equation is drawn on a surface of constant negative Gauss Curvature $K$ so that the asymptotic differential rhombic element corners lie on lines of  principal  curvature. 

Show that principal rotation of surface normals across diagonals ($\phi_1$ = const,  $\phi_2 $ = const.) of rhombus are related as:

$$ d \phi_1^2 + d \phi_2^2 = - K ds^2 $$ 

which is a hyperbolic metric with rotation parameters $\phi_1,\phi_2$ 

EDIT1:

The following fully reinforces original view  of hyperbolic geometry where the parameters $ (\phi_1,  \phi_2 )$ take the place of $(u,v)$ in the Euclidean metric upto an invariant constant $a$ :

$$ ds^2= du^2 + dv^2  \tag{1} $$

Let $ K= -1/a^2$ , primes with respect to hyperbolic geodesic asymptotic arcs 

$$ \phi_1^{\prime2} +\phi_2^{\prime2} = \frac{1}{a^2}  \tag{2}$$ 

Taking components of arc along direction of maximum and minimum curvature directions we have by definition of constant $K$

$$ \frac{d \phi_1}{ds \cos \psi} \cdot \frac{d \phi_2}{ds \sin \psi} =  \frac{ \phi_1 ^{\prime}}{ \cos \psi} \cdot \frac{  \phi_2 ^{\prime}}{ \sin \psi}  =\frac{1}{a^2} \tag{3} $$

Solving (2),(3) we obtain derivatives of rotation in each direction from  as:

$$\phi_1^{\prime} = \frac { \cos \psi} {a}, \;\phi_2^{\prime} = \frac { \sin \psi} {a}    \tag{4} $$

Squaring and adding the above,

$$  ds^2 = a^2( d \phi_1^2 + d \phi_2^2).  \tag{5} $$ 

What prompts me to post this is: Recognition of this observed ***identity between Euclidean and Hyperbolic parameters *** to hopefully remove vagueness (in my mind at least) while recognizing these rotations as hyperbolic parameters:

> $$  (u,v) \leftrightarrow a (\phi_1 , \phi_2 ) \tag{6} $$

[![ HyperbolicGeodesicParallels_DifferentialRhombus  ][1]][1]

 [1]: https://i.sstatic.net/GcwYA.png

In this connection I quote from the text book of DJ Struik, Lectures on Classical DifG, Second edition pp 153 left bottom:

> The whole geometry of Lobachevski-Bolyai could thus be interpreted on
> a surface of constant negative curvature , *parallel lines becoming
> geodesics* (Emphasis mine). Beltrami proved that the
> consistency of implied consistency of Lobachevski-Bolyai geometry,
> since an inconsistency in the latter could be interpreted as an
> inconsistency in the theory of surfaces of constant negative (Gauss)
> curvature which itself is based on Euclidean postulates.

Above image is made on *Mathematica* based on the  metric correspondence (6). The discussion is for any surface, not necessarily that of revolution as pictured.