📖 Meaning
All kinds of musical instruments stop playing and silence prevails. Historically it referred to the cessation of music to mourn after an emperor's death. It is now used to describe the death of a head of state.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the 'Shun' chapter of the Book of Documents (《尚书·舜曲》), one of China's oldest classics dating to the Zhou dynasty. The full passage reads '三载，四海遏密八音' — 'For three years, across the four seas, the eight kinds of music were silenced.' According to tradition, when the legendary Emperor Yao died, his successor Shun ordered that all music throughout the realm cease for three years as a sign of mourning and respect. The 'eight sounds' refer to the eight categories of ancient Chinese instruments classified by their material (metal, stone, earth, leather, silk, wood, gourd, bamboo).
💡 Example Usage
国丧期间,天下遏密八音,以示哀悼。
During the period of national mourning, music throughout the land was silenced as a mark of grief.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 遏密八音
- Pinyin: è mì bā yīn
- Literal Translation: stop, be silent, eight, sounds
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4