📖 Meaning
The firelight illuminates the entire sky. It describes an extremely large and intense fire, most often referring to a major conflagration or fire disaster. The idiom vividly conveys both the brightness and the terrifying scale of the blaze.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Ming dynasty writer Zhang Dai's work Hai Zhi (海志, Record of the Sea). In it, Zhang Dai described witnessing a naval battle: the firelight illuminated the sky and the seawater boiled as if cooking. He remarked that seeing such a sea battle was a truly extraordinary experience. Zhang Dai was a celebrated essayist and memoirist of the late Ming period, known for his vivid descriptive prose.
💡 Example Usage
整座森林燃起大火，火光烛天，数十里外清晰可见。
A great fire swept through the entire forest, its blaze illuminating the sky and visible from dozens of miles away.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 火光烛天
- Pinyin: huǒ guāng zhú tiān
- Literal Translation: fire, light, illuminate, sky
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4