Chinese Idiom: 狭路相逢 (Xia Lu Xiang Feng)
English Translation: Narrow road encounter
pīn yīn: xiá lù xiāng féng
Idiom Meaning: This idiom describes a situation where adversaries meet, making it difficult for them to coexist peacefully and implying that they are unlikely to let each other off easily.
Historical Source: “Encounter on a Narrow Path” (《相逢行》) from the Yuefu collection.
Idiom Story:
The poem “Encounter on a Narrow Path” vividly depicts the lavish lifestyles of the wealthy and powerful, contrasting their opulence with the harsh realities faced by the common people. The first four lines of the poem read:
“On a narrow road, we meet,
Where the path is too tight for carriages.
How do the two young men ask,
About your family home?”
In these lines, the poet conveys that the path is too narrow for two carriages to pass, symbolizing the tense encounter between two individuals. The two young men stand on either side, facing each other and inquiring about each other’s homes.
Over time, the phrase “相逢狭路间” (Encounter on a narrow path) evolved into the idiom “狭路相逢,” which metaphorically signifies that when two enemies confront each other in a confined space, they are bound to clash. This idiom emphasizes the idea that in moments of confrontation, there is little room for compromise or understanding.
