Chinese Idiom: 一叶障目 (Yi Ye Zhang Mu)
English Translation: A Leaf Blinds the Eye
pīn yīn: yī yè zhàng mù
Idiom Meaning: This idiom means being so focused on a small detail or a part of something that you lose sight of the bigger picture. “障” means to cover or block.
Historical Source: “Juan Guan Zi · Tian Ze.”
Idiom Story: In ancient times, it was said that the ear is for hearing and the eye is for seeing. If a single leaf covers the eye, one cannot see Mount Tai; if two beans are placed in the ears, one cannot hear the thunder.
In “Xiao Lin” compiled by Handan Chun of the Wei state during the Three Kingdoms period, there is a story:
Once upon a time, in the Chu region, there was a poor scholar who did not work hard but always dreamed of getting rich unexpectedly. One day, while reading “Huai Nan Zi,” he learned that a praying mantis relies on a leaf to hide itself while catching cicadas. He thought, “If I could find that leaf, I could use it to make myself invisible!” He immediately put down his book and went to the forest to search for the magical leaf. After searching for a long time, he saw a large praying mantis hiding behind a leaf, ready to pounce on a cicada. Without checking if the mantis caught the cicada, he eagerly climbed the tree to pick the leaf. However, as he did so, many leaves fell and mixed with the ones on the ground. He took all the leaves home and tried each one, covering his eyes and asking his wife, “Can you see me?” Initially, his wife answered truthfully, “Yes, I can see you.” But after a few days of this, she got fed up and said, “No, I can’t see you.”
Delighted, the scholar rushed to the market, holding a leaf over his eyes, and started stealing things. He was immediately caught and taken to the county magistrate. When questioned, he explained everything and said, “If I cover my eyes with this leaf, no one can see me!”
The magistrate laughed heartily, realizing the scholar was a foolish bookworm, and after scolding him, let him go.
From these stories, people derived the idiom “A Leaf Blinds the Eye” (一叶障目) or “A Leaf Blinds the Eye, Missing Mount Tai” (一叶障目，不见泰山) to express losing sight of the overall situation due to focusing on a small part.
