Chinese Idiom: 百无聊赖 (Bai Wu Liao Lai)
English Translation: A hundred ways to be bored and listless
pīn yīn: bǎi wú liáo lài
Idiom Meaning: This idiom describes a state of complete boredom and a lack of interest or purpose, where one feels mentally and emotionally empty.
Historical Source: 《悲愤诗》 (Ode of Grief and Resentment) by Cai Wenji (蔡文姬), a famous poet of the Three Kingdoms period.
Idiom Story:
Cai Wenji, also known as Cai Yan, was a talented poet and musician from Chenliu (modern-day Henan Province). Her father, Cai Yong, was a renowned scholar of the late Han Dynasty. Cai Wenji’s life was marked by tragedy and turmoil. At sixteen, she married Wei Zhongdao, who soon died. She returned to her family home, but her life took a turn for the worse when the warlord Dong Zhuo seized power and caused widespread chaos.
In 190 AD, Dong Zhuo’s forces captured and relocated many people, including Cai Wenji, who was later taken by the Xiongnu people and lived among them for twelve years. During this period, she married a Xiongnu leader and had two children. Eventually, she was rescued by the forces of Cao Cao, who offered a ransom for her release.
Upon returning to Han China, Cai Wenji faced immense emotional distress. Her poetry reflects her deep sorrow and the sense of emptiness she felt. The phrase “百无聊赖” comes from the lines in her poem where she describes her state of mind:
“为复彊视息，虽生何聊赖。” (For the sake of persevering, though I live, what is the joy?)
These lines express her feelings of existential despair and a lack of joy despite her survival. Over time, the phrase “百无聊赖” has come to symbolize a profound sense of ennui and emotional desolation.
