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四面楚歌 (si4 mian4 chu3 ge1) - Mournful songs
By Zhang Ciyun |
August 9, 2009, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
Most Chinese like the melodious and touching folk songs from the south. But few want to hear them "on all sides." This is because of the popular idiom "si4 mian4 chu3 ge1" or "hearing the Chu songs on all sides."
This expression comes from the last battle fought by Xiang Yu, a famous general of a rebel army, more than 2,000 years ago.
Following a peasant uprising that toppled the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), Xiang and Liu Bang, another rebel army commander, began fighting each other for the throne. Since Xiang and most of his soldiers came from the Chu area (today's eastern China), they were called the Chu Army. Their rival was the Han Army.
After several defeats, the Chu Army retreated to a place named Gaixia, where it was surrounded by enemy forces on all sides. A few days later, the Chu soldiers found their food supply was running out and started to panic. Xiang made a few attempts to break the siege, but failed.
One night, Xiang was sitting in his tent. Suddenly he heard familiar and soulful Chu songs arising from all sides. He went out and found it was the Han soldiers who were singing the Chu songs aloud.
The general wondered how the rival army could have recruited so many soldiers who were able to sing Chu songs. He also feared that the enemy might have already captured the Chu area.
In truth, it was a psychological trick played by Liu's advisers and the scheme worked. Hearing the songs of their homeland, most of the men in the Chu Army became homesick and some even began to sing along and weep. By midnight, more than half of Xiang's soldiers had deserted.
The next morning, Xiang made his last attempt to break the siege. By the time he finally reached the Wujiang River, less than a dozen remained out of his 8,000-strong troops. Feeling humiliated, the general drew his sword and cut his own throat.
Today, the saying "si4 mian4 chu3 ge1" is frequently used to describe anyone exposed to attacks from all sides or one who has been driven to the wall. So there are not many people in China who would like hearing sentimental Chu songs from "all sides."
This expression comes from the last battle fought by Xiang Yu, a famous general of a rebel army, more than 2,000 years ago.
Following a peasant uprising that toppled the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), Xiang and Liu Bang, another rebel army commander, began fighting each other for the throne. Since Xiang and most of his soldiers came from the Chu area (today's eastern China), they were called the Chu Army. Their rival was the Han Army.
After several defeats, the Chu Army retreated to a place named Gaixia, where it was surrounded by enemy forces on all sides. A few days later, the Chu soldiers found their food supply was running out and started to panic. Xiang made a few attempts to break the siege, but failed.
One night, Xiang was sitting in his tent. Suddenly he heard familiar and soulful Chu songs arising from all sides. He went out and found it was the Han soldiers who were singing the Chu songs aloud.
The general wondered how the rival army could have recruited so many soldiers who were able to sing Chu songs. He also feared that the enemy might have already captured the Chu area.
In truth, it was a psychological trick played by Liu's advisers and the scheme worked. Hearing the songs of their homeland, most of the men in the Chu Army became homesick and some even began to sing along and weep. By midnight, more than half of Xiang's soldiers had deserted.
The next morning, Xiang made his last attempt to break the siege. By the time he finally reached the Wujiang River, less than a dozen remained out of his 8,000-strong troops. Feeling humiliated, the general drew his sword and cut his own throat.
Today, the saying "si4 mian4 chu3 ge1" is frequently used to describe anyone exposed to attacks from all sides or one who has been driven to the wall. So there are not many people in China who would like hearing sentimental Chu songs from "all sides."
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