📖 Meaning
Describes a person who composes poetry while holding a long spear crosswise, evoking the bold, heroic bearing of a warrior who is equally accomplished in martial and literary arts. It praises someone of extraordinary spirit who combines military might with scholarly talent. The idiom celebrates the majestic confidence of a great hero.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom comes from Su Shi's 'Former Ode to the Red Cliff' (前赤壁赋), written in 1082 during the Northern Song Dynasty. In the ode, Su Shi describes Cao Cao, the late Eastern Han warlord and founder of the state of Wei, at the time of the Battle of Red Cliffs in 208 AD. He pictures Cao Cao pouring wine into the river and composing poetry while grasping his spear crosswise, calling him a true hero of his era. The phrase was later extracted to praise a person who wields both the pen and the sword with heroic grandeur.
💡 Example Usage
他横槊赋诗，尽显一代英雄的豪迈气概。
He composed poetry while holding his spear crosswise, fully displaying the heroic spirit of a great hero of his generation.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 横槊赋诗
- Pinyin: héng shuò fù shī
- Literal Translation: holding crosswise, long spear, compose, poetry
- Category: Leadership
- Characters: 4