📖 Meaning
This idiom refers to the decadent music favored by King Zhou of the Shang dynasty, historically regarded as the sound of a doomed nation. It symbolizes vulgar and declining music that foretells the fall of a state.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Treatise on Music in Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian (史记·乐书). It describes how King Zhou of Shang (殷纣) favored music from the northern rustic region of Zhaoge. The text explains that 'north' signifies defeat and 'rustic' signifies vulgarity. Because the king loved such music, he alienated the feudal lords and the common people, ultimately leading to his death and the destruction of his kingdom.
💡 Example Usage
此曲调低沉颓靡，颇有北鄙之音的意味。
This melody is low and decadent, carrying the flavor of the sound of a doomed nation.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 北鄙之音
- Pinyin: bēi bǐ zhī yīn
- Literal Translation: north, rustic, of, sound
- Category: Philosophy
- Characters: 4