Chinese Idiom: 红豆相思 (Hong Dou Xiang Si)
English Translation: Red Bean Yearning
pīn yīn: hóng dòu xiāng sī
Idiom Meaning: This idiom expresses the theme of love or mutual longing between couples.
Historical Source: The poem “Xiang Si” (相思) by Wang Wei, a poet of the Tang Dynasty.
Idiom Story:
The idiom “红豆相思” (Hong Dou Xiang Si) is derived from a beautiful and flowing poem that uses objects to convey emotions of love and yearning. The poem consists of four lines:
红豆生南国，
春来发几枝。
愿君多采撷，
此物最相思。
Translation of the lines:
- “Red beans grow in the southern country,
- How many new branches sprout in spring?
- I hope you gather them more,
- For these most convey my longing.”
The poem begins with a question about how many new shoots of red beans have sprouted in the spring. It concludes with a heartfelt request to gather them because red beans symbolize the deepest feelings of longing for loved ones.
Over time, this poem has given rise to the idiom “红豆相思,” which encapsulates the emotion of longing in romantic relationships.
