Chinese Idiom: 沉鱼落雁 (Chen Yu Luo Yan)
English Translation: Fish Sink and Wild Geese Fall
pīn yīn: chén yú luò yàn
Idiom Meaning: This idiom describes the extraordinary beauty of a woman, suggesting that her beauty is so striking that fish would sink and geese would fall from the sky.
Historical Source: “Zhuangzi” (《庄子》), specifically in the chapter “Qiwulun” (齐物论).
Idiom Story:
During the Spring and Autumn period, there was a renowned beauty named Xi Shi from the state of Yue. She would often go to the riverside to wash silk. The fish in the water, upon seeing her, felt ashamed of their own appearance compared to her beauty and sank to the bottom of the river, too embarrassed to surface.
In the Han dynasty, another beautiful woman named Wang Zhaojun was set to marry the Xiongnu chieftain. As she prepared to leave, a flock of wild geese flying overhead noticed her stunning appearance. So astonished were they that they forgot how to fly and fell from the sky into the forest below.
As a result, when people praise a woman for her exceptional beauty, they often say she possesses a “沉鱼落雁” (chén yú luò yàn) appearance, evoking the imagery of fish sinking and geese falling in the presence of such captivating beauty. This idiom emphasizes not only physical attractiveness but also the profound impact that beauty can have on the surroundings.
