Chinese Idiom: 一片丹心 (Yi Pian Dan Xin)
English Translation: A Heart of Loyalty
pīn yīn: yī piàn dān xīn
Idiom Meaning: This idiom is used to describe someone who is wholeheartedly loyal and dedicated to their country or cause.
Historical Source: Southern Song Dynasty, Lu You’s poem “The Gold-Inlaid Knife.”
Idiom Story: Lu You, whose courtesy name was Wuguan and sobriquet was Fangweng, was a native of Shanyin (now Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province) during the Song Dynasty. In his youth, due to foreign invasions, he experienced a life of displacement, which instilled in him a strong sense of patriotism from an early age. His father, Lu Zai, was also a patriotic scholar. During the Southern Song Dynasty’s retreat to the south, the family associated with many patriotic figures who, when discussing the enemy’s arrogance and the nation’s shame, would often weep and be unable to eat. These experiences deeply influenced Lu You.
During Emperor Gaozong’s reign, 29-year-old Lu You went to Lin’an to take the imperial examination but was rejected by the powerful minister Qin Hui. He did not receive an official position until he was 34, when he was appointed as a minor official in Ningde County (now Ningde City, Fujian Province). When Emperor Xiaozong ascended the throne, Lu You was granted the title of Jinshi and held various positions, including Tongpan of Zhenjiang and Longxing. During this period, Lu You proposed many policies advocating for the selection of virtuous and capable officials and repeatedly called for a military campaign to reclaim the northern territories. However, these proposals were unwelcome to Emperor Gaozong and later Emperor Xiaozong, who continued to pursue a policy of appeasement. As a result, Lu You was frequently demoted and eventually dismissed from office at the age of 42. He was not reinstated until he was 46, when he became the Tongpan of Kuizhou (now Fengjie County, Sichuan Province).
During this time, despite the Southern Song rulers’ continued policy of appeasement, Lu You did not lose hope. He likened his determination to serve his country to the resilience of a gold-inlaid knife. He connected with like-minded individuals and encouraged each other, remaining confident in the eventual restoration of the nation’s territories. To express his unwavering loyalty and aspirations, Lu You wrote the poem “The Gold-Inlaid Knife.” The poem consists of twelve lines.
The general meaning of the poem is: My treasured knife with a gold-inlaid handle and white jade glimmers through the windows at night. At fifty, I have yet to achieve any great accomplishments for the country, standing alone with my knife, gazing into the distance. In the capital, I made friends with extraordinary men, and we pledged to live and die together. Although I am ashamed to be nameless in history, my heart remains loyal, always hoping to serve the country. Recently, I have been stationed by the Han River, looking at the snowy peaks of Mount Zhongnan. Alas! Even if the state of Chu had only three households left, they could overthrow Qin; how could the grand state of China be without anyone to save it?
Later, the line “a heart of loyalty serves the emperor” was simplified to “a heart of loyalty” (一片丹心), becoming an idiom used to describe sincere and unwavering loyalty.
