📖 Meaning
This idiom describes stirring and emotionally powerful orchestral music. "Si" (丝) refers to stringed instruments, while "zhu" (竹) refers to wind instruments, with "hao zhu" specifically denoting thick bamboo pipes that produce bold, resonant sounds. Together the phrase characterizes music that is both sorrowful and heroic, deeply moving the listener.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from a poem by the Tang dynasty poet Du Fu titled "Drunk, I Fell from My Horse, and the Gentlemen Brought Wine to See Me" (《醉为马坠诸公携酒相看》). In the poem, Du Fu depicts a banquet scene with the lines "Wine and meat piled like mountains in that moment; at the opening of the feast, mournful strings stirred the bold bamboo pipes." The phrase captures the poignant yet powerful quality of the ensemble music at the gathering. It has since become a literary expression for profoundly moving orchestral performances.
💡 Example Usage
音乐会上哀丝豪竹交织，令人不禁潸然泪下。
At the concert, the mournful strings and bold winds intertwined, moving the audience to tears.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 哀丝豪竹
- Pinyin: āi sī háo zhú
- Literal Translation: mournful, strings, bold, bamboo
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4