Chinese Idiom: 大笔如椽 (Da Bi Ru Chuan)
English Translation: Writing with Great Talent
pīn yīn: dà bǐ rú chuán
Idiom Meaning: This idiom praises someone for their exceptional writing skills and is often used to commend famous writers and their works. “椽” refers to the large wooden beams used in building houses.
Historical Source: “Book of Jin” (《晋书 ·王循传》).
Idiom Story:
During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Wang Xun was known for his quick wit, bravery, and excellent literary talent from a young age. By the age of twenty, he was appointed as the Chief Secretary by the Grand Marshal Huan Wen.
One day, Huan Wen decided to test Wang Xun’s courage. While holding a meeting in the Grand Marshal’s mansion, Huan Wen deliberately rode a horse from the back hall straight into the main hall. The aides were all terrified and scattered in panic, but Wang Xun remained calm and composed, sitting still. Impressed by his composure, Huan Wen remarked, “Anyone who can remain steady in the face of a charging horse will surely achieve greatness in the future!”
To test Wang Xun’s literary skills, Huan Wen secretly took away Wang Xun’s prepared speech during a meeting. When it was Wang Xun’s turn to speak, he delivered his speech fluently and eloquently, without hesitation. Huan Wen compared his speech to the original draft and found that while the content was the same, not a single sentence was repeated. This left Huan Wen in awe of Wang Xun’s talent.
One night, Wang Xun had a dream where someone presented him with a large pen as thick as a roof beam. Upon waking, he told his family, “I dreamed that someone gave me a pen as large as a beam. It seems I am destined to accomplish great literary tasks.” His prediction soon came true. That very morning, Emperor Xiaowu of Jin suddenly passed away, and because of Wang Xun’s outstanding writing skills, he was entrusted with drafting the imperial mourning edict, the funeral announcements, and the emperor’s posthumous title. This honor was rare and unprecedented in history.
Thus, the idiom “大笔如椽” (writing with great talent) came to be used to praise writers of exceptional ability.
