📖 Meaning
This idiom compares the grief of a filial child who can no longer care for their deceased parents to the wind blowing through trees. It expresses the deep sorrow and regret of a child whose parents have passed away before they could provide for them. The imagery evokes the helplessness of nature's forces against human longing.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Han Dynasty text 'Han Shi Wai Zhuan' (韩诗外传) by Han Ying, which records the saying: 'The tree wishes to be still, but the wind will not cease; the child wishes to care for their parents, but the parents will not wait.' This lament reflects the sorrow of Kongzi's disciple Qiu Yu (丘吾子), who cried by the roadside upon realizing his parents had aged and passed before he could fulfill his filial duties. Over time, the image of wind and trees became a metaphor for the grief of losing one's parents.
💡 Example Usage
自父亲去世后，他每每念及养育之恩，便觉风木含悲，泪不能禁。
Since his father passed away, whenever he recalls the grace of being raised, he feels the wind-and-tree sorrow and cannot hold back his tears.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 风木含悲
- Pinyin: fēng mù hán bēi
- Literal Translation: wind, tree, contain, sorrow
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4