📖 Meaning
Literally 'how could even a hundred of my lives redeem this?' It expresses the deepest, most agonizing grief over losing someone irreplaceable. The idiom conveys that no sacrifice could bring the beloved back.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the 'Ode of the Yellow Bird' (黄鸟) in the Classic of Poetry (诗经·秦风), dating to the Spring and Autumn period. The poem mourns three noble brothers of the Yan family—Yanxi, Zhongxing, and Qiantu of Qin—who were forced into suicide burial (人殉) at the death of Duke Mu of Qin (秦穆公) in 621 BC. The poet laments that if these innocent men could be ransomed, people would willingly give a hundred of their own lives to do so. The phrase later became a classical expression of inconsolable mourning.
💡 Example Usage
恩师遽然长逝，百身何赎！
My revered teacher has passed away so suddenly—what could a hundred lives possibly do to bring him back?
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 百身何赎
- Pinyin: bǎi shēn hé shú
- Literal Translation: hundred, selves, how, redeem
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4