Chinese Idiom: 天衣无缝 (Tian Yi Wu Fen)
English Translation: Heavenly Clothes Without Seams
pīn yīn: tiān yī wú fèng
Idiom Meaning: This idiom describes something that is flawless, with no visible flaws or imperfections. It can also refer to a piece of writing that is exquisitely crafted with no visible signs of editing or roughness.
Historical Source: Ling Gui Lu (《灵怪录·郭翰》) by Niu Qiao of the Former Shu Dynasty
Idiom Story:
In the Ling Gui Lu (The Record of Supernatural Events), there is a mythological story about a man named Guo Han (郭翰). One summer night, as he was lying in his courtyard, enjoying the coolness and looking at the clear moonlit sky, a woman descended from the heavens.
She introduced herself as the Weaver Girl (织女). Guo Han observed her closely and noticed that her clothes had no visible seams or stitches. Intrigued, he asked her, “How is it that your beautiful clothes have no traces of needlework or stitching?”
The Weaver Girl replied, “Heavenly clothes are not made with needles and threads.”
This story gave rise to the idiom “天衣无缝” (Tiānyī wú fèng), meaning “heavenly clothes without seams.” The idiom has come to signify anything that is impeccably executed and free from flaws, as well as literary works that are crafted with such finesse that no rough edges or imperfections are detectable.
