Chinese Idiom: 平地波澜 (Ping Di Bo Lan)
English Translation: Waves on flat ground
pīn yīn: píng dì bō lán
Idiom Meaning: This idiom refers to the emergence of unexpected disputes or incidents, or to creating trouble where there is none.
Historical Source: 唐代刘禹锡《竹枝词》 (Tang Dynasty Liu Yuxi’s “Bamboo Branch Songs”).
Idiom Story:
In the first year of Emperor Muzong’s reign (821 AD), Liu Yuxi, aged fifty-one, was appointed governor of Kui Prefecture (modern-day Fengjie County, Chongqing). Observing the local people, he saw their hardworking nature and their love for life, often expressed through singing and dancing. They would gather, lift their sleeves, and look up with joy, singing and dancing vigorously. Although Liu Yuxi could not understand their dialect or the lyrics, he admired their lively expression, which seemed as beautiful as the folk songs of the Spring and Autumn period.
Inspired by these observations and the works of Qu Yuan, Liu Yuxi composed a collection of poems known as “Bamboo Branch Songs”. Written in the second year of Emperor Muzong’s reign (822 AD), these poems reflect his experiences and observations of the local people and their lives.
The fourth poem in this collection reads:
“瞿塘嘈嘈十二滩，此中道路古来难。长恨人心不如水，等闲平地起波澜。”
The poem describes the dangerous and turbulent waters of Qutang Gorge, which has always been a perilous route. Liu Yuxi laments that despite the obvious danger of the gorge, some people’s hearts are even more unpredictable and turbulent. They can create trouble and stir up conflict even in the calmest situations.
This sentiment is encapsulated in the line “等闲平地起波澜” (waving up disturbances on flat ground), which led to the idiom “平地波澜”. It signifies the act of causing trouble or creating disturbances without any apparent reason.
