Imagine that an ancient text of history is discovered, can we just apply kanbun?

鹤立鸡群

I mentioned Sima Zhao (司马昭) yesterday. Today, we have an idiom that is all about him.

Meaning

Literally: “Sima Zhao's intentions are known even to every passerby.”

Unlike most Chinese idioms, 司马昭之心路人皆知 is not a four-character idiom. It has nine characters, yet it is one of the most famous Chinese historical expressions.

It means that someone's hidden ambition or real intention is so obvious that everyone knows it. It is usually used in a negative or sarcastic way.

The Story

In 260 CE, the Wei(魏) emperor Cao Mao (曹髦) was frustrated that the powerful minister Sima Zhao (司马昭) was taking control of the government.

He reportedly said:

“司马昭之心，路人所知也 ” (Sima Zhao's intentions are known even to every passerby.)

In other words, everyone knew that Sima Zhao wanted power and possibly the throne.

Cao Mao tried to fight back, but he was killed in an open confrontation. This was a shocking and famous case of regicide in Chinese history. Cao Mao is often remembered as a brave emperor who was willing to stand up to the powerful Sima Zhao, even at the cost of his own life.

Some years later, Sima Zhao's son, Sima Yan (司马炎), ended the Wei Dynasty and founded the Jin(晋) Dynasty in 265 CE.

So now you can probably understand a little better why Ji Kang (嵇康) refused to cooperate with Sima Zhao, and why he eventually paid for it with his life, as we discussed yesterday.

Usage

Used when someone's real intentions are obvious to everyone.

Example:

他想抢你那个项目的功劳，司马昭之心，路人皆知。

He wants to take credit for your project. Everyone can see what he's really trying to do.

A Little Background

Sima Zhao came from a powerful family. His father, Sima Yi (司马懿), was a brilliant military strategist but also had a reputation for being extremely patient, calculating, and politically ruthless.

Sima Yi's sons and grandson continued the family's rise to power—until Sima Yan finally founded the Jin Dynasty.

Next:
Two Sad Chinese Idioms from 陈情表

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司马昭之心路人皆知

Last time, I tmentioned Sima Yan (司马炎), who founded the Jin (晋) dynasty.

After becoming emperor, Sima Yan wanted talented and respected people to join his new government. One of them was Li Mi (李密).

But Li Mi had no other family but an elderly grandmother who had raised him, and she was already old and in poor health. He couldn't bear to leave her alone.

So, instead of simply accepting the position, Li Mi wrote a famous memorial to the emperor explaining why he couldn't take the job at that time.

That letter, "陈情表" (Chen Qing Biao), became a famous piece of writing in Chinese history. It gave us several idioms that are still commonly used today.

1. 日薄西山 (rì bó xī shān)

This one is easy to picture.

It literally means:

“The sun is getting close to the western mountain.”  In other words, the sun is setting.

Li Mi used this image to describe his grandmother - 但以刘日薄西山, 气息奄奄.

He was saying that her life was like the setting sun, slowly fading away and getting close to the end.

Today, 日薄西山 means that someone or something is declining and nearing its end. It can describe old age, but also a declining company, empire, or career.

2. 形影相吊 (xíng yǐng xiāng diào)

This one is even sadder.

Li Mi wrote: 茕茕孑立, 形影相吊

A simple way to understand it is, “I am so alone that my shadow and I have to comfort each other.”

The key word here is 吊 (diào). In this old expression, it means to comfort or console.

There is another Chinese idiom, 形单影只 (single person, single shadow), which also means being alone. But that one is more of a simple description.

形单影只  I'm by myself.

形影相吊  I'm so lonely that my shadow and I have to comfort each other. This onr feels so sad!

And that makes me think of a famous line by Li Bai (李白), the greatest Chinese poet:

举杯邀明月, 对影成三人

“I raise my cup and invite the bright moon; together with my shadow, we become three.”

Li Bai is alone too. But instead of feeling sorry for himself, he basically thinks,

Why not invite the moon?

Now he has himself, the moon, and his shadow. A party of three!

The same shadow appears in both, but with very different feelings.

For Li Mi, the shadow makes his loneliness feel even more painful.

For Li Bai, the shadow becomes part of the party.

(AI-assisted editing)

I learned that 治 also refers to two rivers. One ancient Chinese river when it is pronounced as /chí/ and another ancient Chinese river when it is pronouced as /yí/.

Does anybody have any insights of the locations of these two historical rivers?

Hi! I'm a native Mandarin speaker, fluent in English, looking to offering in-person sessions in classical Chinese for people in the San Francisco Bay Area who want to start reading classical texts or go deeper into them.

Background: I went through comprehensive Chinese training that included classical Chinese. I'm also actively refreshing and expanding my own reading.

Proposed Format:

• In person, 1-on-1 or 1-on-2, kept small so sessions stay focused
• Content built around what you actually want to read: poetry, philosophical texts, historical prose, or something specific you already have in mind. Otherwise we'll default to my favorite (Song dynasty poems and proses). :)
• Best for people who have some Mandarin and want to work on reading classical texts.

I can also offer Shufa supplies for you to practice writing classical Chinese texts.

If you're interested, comment or DM with your current level and what you'd like to read, and we can talk through rate and logistics. I can meet around SF / East Bay.

Thank you for reading this!

Request for the book: Music, Mind, and Language in Chinese Poetry and Performance: The Voice Extended by Casey Schoenberger, 2024, OUP

Thanks in advance.

https://academic.oup.com/book/56146

鹤立鸡群 (Hè lì jī qún) literally means “a crane standing among chickens.” It describes someone who stands out from the crowd because of exceptional talent, appearance, character, or presence—like a tall, graceful crane surrounded by ordinary chickens.

Usage:
Used to praise someone who is clearly outstanding in a group.

Cultural note:
The idiom is strongly positive. It emphasizes someone's exceptional qualities rather than simply putting others down.

Origin & Backstory

The idiom comes from Shishuo Xinyu (《世说新语》, A New Account of Tales of the World), a 5th-century collection of stories about famous people in ancient China.

During the Jin (晋) Dynasty (265–420 CE), Ji Shao (嵇绍) traveled to the capital. Someone told the minister Wang Rong “Ji Shao stands out like a wild crane among chickens.” (嵇延祖卓卓如野鹤之在鸡群).

Wang Rong replied “You never saw his father!”

Ji Shao's late father was Ji Kang (嵇康), one of the most famous and admired figures of his time. In other words, Ji Shao was already exceptional, but Wang Rong thought his late father Ji Kang was even more extraordinary.

More Background: A Father–Son Tragedy

Ji Kang and Ji Shao's story adds another layer to this idiom.

Ji Kang (嵇康) opposed the powerful Sima clan, which was gradually taking control of the Wei (魏) government and would later establish the Jin Dynasty. He refused to serve them, openly clashed with the influential minister Sima Zhao(司马昭), and was eventually executed by Sima Zhao in 262 CE.

Ji Shao (嵇绍) was still a young boy when his father died. Before his execution, Ji Kang entrusted his son to his friend Shan Tao (山涛), who was already serving as a high official in the regime that had condemned Ji Kang.

The friendship between Ji Kang and Shan Tao is a complex and well-known story in its own right. It centers on a famous classical essay written by Ji Kang, “与山巨源绝交书” (A Letter Severing Relations with Shan Juyuan). Although they had severed their friendship, Ji Kang still trusted Shan Tao enough to place his young son Ji Shao in Shan Tao's care before his execution.

Many years later, Ji Shao chose a very different path. He became a loyal official of the Jin Dynasty. In 304 CE, during a rebellion, he was killed while protecting Emperor Sima Zhong (司马衷) - the grandson of Sima Zhao, who had ordered the execution of Ji Shao's father.

According to historical records, Ji Shao shielded the emperor from arrows. He was struck and killed, and his blood stained the emperor’s robe red. This tragic story gave rise to another uncommon Chinese idiom: “嵇侍中血” (Jī Shìzhōng xuè), literally meaning “the blood of Ji, the Imperial Attendant.” Here, 侍中 (Shìzhōng) was Ji Shao's official title at the time of his death.

(AI-assisted editing)

Buenas tardes, días o noches. Como puede que se percaten—o puede que no, no hay problema—recientemente he creado esta cuenta en la plataforma, debido a que mi hambre de JTTW me ha llevado a querer indagar las recopilaciones más antiguas sobre la obra—conocidos como edición Shidetang—Y en esencia, querer hacer investigaciones con fines digamos que "pseudo académicos", y bueno, yo no soy hablante del idioma—para mi pesar—por ello me tomo el atrevimiento de preguntarles a ustedes, bella comunidad de sacra sabiduría ¿Alguno de vuestra merced sabe de chino? Me es útil cualquier nivel, a final de cuenta, se puede tomar como un aprendizaje conjunto.

En fin, espero con gratitud vuestros comentarios al tema, saludos.

According to a dictionary compilation of about 4,600 Chinese idioms (成语 chéngyǔ) with identifiable sources, the approximate origins are:

Ancient China → Qin & Han (before 220 AD) 68%

Wei, Jin & Northern/Southern Dynasties (220–589) 15%

Sui & Tang (581–907) 9%

Song Dynasty (960–1279) 6%

Yuan, Ming & Qing (1271–1912) 2%

Even as a native Chinese speaker, I was surprised to learn that nearly two-thirds of these idioms can be traced back to more than 2,000 years ago. I had originally thought there would be more Chiense idioms from the Tang and Song dynasties, but in fact, they account for only 15 percent.

先秦典籍，年湮世遠，文辭古奧，後人解之，每多疑竇。幸今睹地下文獻迭出，取以校讎傳世典籍，則可得前人所未發之新見。茲不揣固陋，就管見所及，略陳三例。

《詩·周頌·閔予小子》：「念茲皇祖，陟降庭止。」毛傳：「庭，直也。」鄭箋：「念此君祖文王，上以直道事天，下以直道治民。」西周㝬簋云：「（前文人）其頻在帝庭陟降，申固皇帝大魯命。」按周代統治者稱「王」不稱「帝」，凡言「帝」或「皇帝」者，多謂「上帝」。「魯」有「美好」之意，簋銘「皇帝大魯命」猶後世之「天命」也（五祀㝬鐘此句作「申固先王受皇天大魯命」）。是知「庭」乃「上帝之庭」，「頻在帝庭陟降」即「頻繁上下往來於上帝之庭」也。蓋周人以為先祖之靈，上能達天帝左右，申固周之大命，下能至宗廟以饗，庇佑後世子孫，故言「陟降」。《閔予小子》「陟降庭止」語意略同，亦即《大雅·文王》「文王陟降，在帝左右」之謂也。

《書·多士》：「乃命爾先祖成湯革夏，俊民甸四方。」舊注以「俊民」為「民之賢者」。大盂鼎云：「在武王，嗣文作邦，闢厥慝，匍有四方，畯正厥民。」此言武王繼文王之業，作立周邦，屏除邪惡，而撫有天下。「嗣」「作」「闢」「匍有」皆動詞，「畯正」亦當如是。「正」與「政」通，訓「治」，「畯正」近義連用，「畯」亦訓「治」（一說「畯」通「悛」，改也，「畯正」猶今言「改正」，使民向善也）。《多士》「俊民」之「俊」與鼎銘「畯」當為一字。又「甸」與「奠」音近相通，訓「定」。逑盤銘文謂「成王……奠四域萬邦」，禹鼎亦云「先王奠四方」，與《多士》「成湯……俊民甸四方」可合觀。《詩·小雅·信南山》：「信（伸）彼南山，維禹甸之。」《書·禹貢》：「禹敷土，隨山刊木，奠高山大川。」是「甸」「奠」古通之又一證。

《書·文侯之命》：「汝肇刑文武，用會紹乃辟。」金文屢見「肇」「帥」「井」等語。「肇」或為語辭，或訓「勤敏」；「帥」與「率」通，「遵循」之意；「井」與「刑／型」通，「效法」之意。大盂鼎云「今我唯即井（型）稟于文王正德」，言「今我乃效法、稟承文王之元德」也，梁其鐘「梁其肇帥井（型）皇祖考，秉明德」用例與之同，其「效法」之意甚顯白。「刑／型」又可作名詞：毛公鼎云「汝毋弗帥用先王作明井（型）」，言「汝不可不以先王作為明德之典範」也，《詩·大雅·抑》「罔敷求先王，克共（恭）明刑」之「刑」亦用此意。又逑盤曰：「丕顯朕皇高祖單公，桓桓克明慎厥德，夾紹文王、武王撻殷，膺受天魯命。」「朕皇高祖新室仲，克幽明厥心，柔遠能邇，會紹康王，方懷不庭。」器主自言其先祖單公「夾紹文王、武王」伐殷，先祖新室仲「會紹康王」廣泛懷柔不來庭朝見之邦。《說文》：「夾，持也。從大俠（挾）二人。」一說甲金文象二人相向扶持一人。《左傳·僖公二十六年》：「昔周公、太公股肱周室，夾輔成王。」以文脈繹之，逑盤「夾紹」「會紹」皆「輔佐」之意也。又曰：「朕皇亞祖懿仲，匡諫諫，克傅保厥辟孝王、夷王。」言「厥辟孝王、夷王」，孝王、夷王乃周之二君，是「辟」有「君主」之意也。《文侯之命》「汝肇刑文武，用會紹乃辟」猶言「汝當效法文王、武王之明德，以輔佐汝之君」。

presumably this might be more appropriate other places, but i trust y'all's opinions almost more than anywhere else i know of, and i still feel confused when i think about the implausible absurdity of it all: is or isn't it true that probably the two most globally significant proponents of family dynamics as an exemplary model for all ethics and politics, i.e. 孔子 and 孟子, both grew up without fathers? surely numerous previous historians must have commented on the irony. any available citations would hopefully be interesting and much appreciated. (hopefully not only laughing at their hypocrisy (i.e. Zhuangzi, sarcastic bastard), but also to commiserate with their hopeful desperation?)

double asterisks ** means reconstruction is not present in Baxter & Sagart (2014)'s system, and is modified through Zhengzhang (2006)'s reconstruction through phonemic correspondence via the same phonetic component in the character.

French historian and professor at the Université Paris Diderot Yannick Bruneton has published his book for learning Classical Chinese. In the introduction, quoting La Fontaine, the author tells us not to be scared by the size of the book, which is almost 1000 pages thick.

« Les longs ouvrages me font peur.

Loin d’épuiser une matière,

On n’en doit prendre que la fleur »

Grand manuel de chinois classique : hanmun is one of those few books that teaches Classical Chinese with a focus on Korea. Instead of Pinyin, you will find Hangeul everywhere. Another such book is Ю. В. Болтач's Ханмун: Вводный курс.

You can read a 30-page extract, which provides a good overview of the use of Classical Chinese in Korea, on French publisher Dunod's website: https://www.dunod.com/lettres-et-arts/grand-manuel-chinois-classique-hanmun

此象已七年舊事。然，今常憶之。

僑社聞豆芽三頁，懼如臨亡，泣如洪矣。

三頁豆芽，實為附材也，故不存於國文試卷。何解憂此事？且豆芽之有無，不阻他語續命。其餘波，即立新牌一令，固可擾民，然他文仍存。若論極端，大秦文早可載之，其載量今亦居多。

惟多戶逢北語，速貶祖語，甚者亦阻後人習之。逢芽文，則速憶自尊，急申世俗。

「推普」歷案多視他語為敵。舊時李獅、蔣黨甚狂，祖語多禁。然，李授民英語，反不抑普。故授人一語，不必抑他語。且今時，多處固主北語，然任由他語。「推普」何必禁祖語乎？

何解懼芽文，不懼北語？

狗仗人势 (Gǒu zhàng rén shì): don't bully others by borrowing someone else's power. The phrase appears in scene five of Li Kaixian's Ming play The Precious Sword (宝剑记).

#ChineseWisdom #LearnChinese #Shorts

狗仗人势 (Gǒu zhàng rén shì): don't bully others by borrowing someone else's power. The phrase appears in scene five of Li Kaixian's Ming play The Precious Sword (宝剑记).

#ChineseWisdom #LearnChinese #Shorts