Chinese Idiom: 一鼓作气 (Yi Gu Zuo Qi)
English Translation: One Drumbeat to Boost Morale
pīn yīn: yī gǔ zuò qì
Idiom Meaning: It means to muster all one’s energy and courage to accomplish something in one go. “鼓” refers to the beating of war drums, “作” signifies invigorating or rallying, and “气” is the spirit or enthusiasm.
Historical Source: “Zuo Zhuan, the 10th year of Duke Zhuang.”
Idiom Story: In 684 BC, the powerful state of Qi launched an attack on the weaker state of Lu. Duke Zhuang of Lu, with the assistance of his advisor Cao Gui, led his army to Longshao to confront the Qi forces.
The Qi army first beat their war drums to launch an attack on the Lu army. Just as Duke Zhuang was about to command his troops to counterattack, Cao Gui stopped him, saying, “Not yet, the time isn’t right.” Seeing no response from the Lu army, the Qi forces shouted for a while and then quieted down. After a while, the Qi army beat their drums a second time, but Cao Gui still advised against engaging.
It wasn’t until the Qi army beat their drums for the third time that Cao Gui said to Duke Zhuang, “Now we can strike.” Following the drumbeat, the soldiers of Lu charged bravely, catching the Qi army off guard and causing them to scatter in retreat.
After the victory, Duke Zhuang, puzzled, asked Cao Gui, “Why did we wait until the Qi army beat their drums three times before launching our attack?” Cao Gui explained, “Battles rely on morale. When they beat the drums the first time, their morale was high. By the second beat, their energy waned. By the third beat, their courage was almost exhausted. On the other hand, our first beat found our soldiers’ morale high and full of energy, which is why we were able to defeat them in one decisive blow.”
From this story, the idiom “one drumbeat to boost morale” was derived, symbolizing the idea of summoning all one’s strength and courage to complete a task swiftly and effectively.
