Chinese Idiom: 一落千丈 (Yi Luo Qian Zhang)
English Translation: Plummeting Thousands of Feet
pīn yīn: yī luò qiān zhàng
Idiom Meaning: This idiom is used to describe a rapid and significant decline in status, position, reputation, or circumstances.
Historical Source: Tang Dynasty, Han Yu’s poem “Listening to Master Ying Play the Qin.”
Idiom Story:
During the reign of Emperor Xianzong of Tang, in the 11th and 12th years of the Yuanhe era (circa 816-817 CE), there was a monk named Ying, who hailed from Tianzhu (present-day India). He gained fame in Chang’an for his exceptional qin playing. After listening to Master Ying’s performance, the renowned poet Han Yu composed a poem in praise of his extraordinary skill. The poem consists of eighteen lines, with the first ten vividly describing and praising Ying’s superb technique through lively metaphors, and the last eight lines expressing Han Yu’s profound feelings after listening to the performance, further highlighting the excellence of Ying’s qin artistry.
The general meaning of this passage is: Ying’s qin sounds start off softly, like children whispering or lovers conversing. Suddenly, the sound becomes majestic and intense, like warriors heading into battle. The music then becomes serene and boundless, like floating clouds and catkins in the vast sky. It mimics the mixed chirping of a hundred birds, abruptly dominated by the clear call of a lone phoenix. The music reaches its peak, only to lose momentum and plummet dramatically.
The phrase “plummeting thousands of feet” from the last line of these ten lines was later simplified to “一落千丈” (plummeting thousands of feet), evolving into an idiom to describe any drastic and rapid decline.
