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Duke's poetic advice (wei4 yu3 chou2 mou2)
By Zhang Ciyun |
November 22, 2009, Sunday
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SOME Chinese expressions have originated from popular verses. The idiom "(wei4 yu3 chou2 mou2)," or "repair the house before it rains," is an example of just such a saying as it comes from a poem written by a politician some 3,000 years ago.
The Duke of Zhou, who was acting as regent when King Cheng of Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century-770 BC) was still young, later left the imperial court and had to move out of the capital as rumors spread that he was trying to usurp the throne.
Living in de facto exile, the duke still cared about the affairs of state and the well-being of the king.
So, when he learned that two of king's uncles were hatching a plot to stage a coup against the imperial court, he immediately wrote a poem and asked a friend to present it to the king.
In the poem, the duke told how a bird uses tree branches and leaves to repair its nest to prevent it from being destroyed by winds or rain.
One line in the poem reads: "Before it rains, I must repair the doors and windows with the roots of the white mulberry."
The warning contained in the poem was ignored by the king, who failed to take precautions against a possible coup.
It was not until the young ruler finally learned that the Duke of Zhou had been framed by his enemies that he decided to call the former regent back to help him foil the plot.
The duke's reinstatement was welcomed by both the court and the people. The rebellion that had been staged was soon put down and the regime of Western Zhou was consolidated.
And the line in his poem about repairing the house later evolved into a widely quoted saying. Today, the idiom "(wei4 yu3 chou2 mou2)" is used in persuading people to "save against a rainy day," "to take precautions" or "to provide for the future."
The Duke of Zhou, who was acting as regent when King Cheng of Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century-770 BC) was still young, later left the imperial court and had to move out of the capital as rumors spread that he was trying to usurp the throne.
Living in de facto exile, the duke still cared about the affairs of state and the well-being of the king.
So, when he learned that two of king's uncles were hatching a plot to stage a coup against the imperial court, he immediately wrote a poem and asked a friend to present it to the king.
In the poem, the duke told how a bird uses tree branches and leaves to repair its nest to prevent it from being destroyed by winds or rain.
One line in the poem reads: "Before it rains, I must repair the doors and windows with the roots of the white mulberry."
The warning contained in the poem was ignored by the king, who failed to take precautions against a possible coup.
It was not until the young ruler finally learned that the Duke of Zhou had been framed by his enemies that he decided to call the former regent back to help him foil the plot.
The duke's reinstatement was welcomed by both the court and the people. The rebellion that had been staged was soon put down and the regime of Western Zhou was consolidated.
And the line in his poem about repairing the house later evolved into a widely quoted saying. Today, the idiom "(wei4 yu3 chou2 mou2)" is used in persuading people to "save against a rainy day," "to take precautions" or "to provide for the future."
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