Chinese Idiom: 不翼而飞 (Bu Yi Er Fei)
English Translation: Fly away without wings
pīn yīn: bù yì ér fēi
Idiom Meaning: Originally, this idiom meant that news or information would spread quickly without any need for promotion. Nowadays, it is used to describe either the rapid spread of news or the sudden disappearance of an object.
Historical Source: Strategies of the Warring States (《战国策 · 秦策三》)
Idiom Story:
During the Warring States period, the King of Qin sent his general Wang Ji to attack the capital of the Zhao Kingdom, Handan. Despite laying siege to the city for a year and a half, Wang Ji was unable to capture it. Frustrated and at a loss, he was approached by a man named Zhuang, who offered some advice.
Zhuang suggested, “If you reward your troops, you can boost their morale, and there may still be hope of capturing Handan.”
However, Wang Ji, irritated by the suggestion, dismissed it, saying, “I am the commander and must follow the king’s orders. I cannot concern myself with anything else.”
Undeterred by Wang Ji’s impatience, Zhuang continued, “You are not entirely correct. Even when a father gives orders to his son, some commands are feasible, while others are not. You have been flattering your superiors, bullying your subordinates, and acting arbitrarily for too long. I’ve heard that if three people falsely claim that a tiger is coming, the listeners will eventually believe them. If ten people work together to bend a wooden mallet, they can bend it. If everyone spreads the news that you should change your command strategy, this news will ‘fly away without wings’ and reach many ears. This demonstrates the immense power of your troops. Therefore, you should consider rewarding your soldiers.”
Despite Zhuang’s wise counsel, Wang Ji ignored his advice. A few days later, a rebellion broke out within the Qin army, severely disrupting the progress of the siege. Enraged by this turn of events, the King of Qin ordered the execution of Wang Ji.
The phrase “不翼而飞” originally referred to the rapid spread of news or information without any physical means, as Zhuang described. Over time, it also came to be used metaphorically to describe objects that mysteriously and suddenly disappear.
