📖 Meaning
This idiom describes writing that is dazzlingly ornate and gorgeous, like richly colored brocade spread out for display. It is used to praise literary works, especially prose or poetry, that exhibit exceptional rhetorical brilliance and stylistic beauty. It is a variant of the more common idiom 烂若披锦.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom is a variant of "烂若披锦" (làn ruò pī jǐn), which emerged from the tradition of Chinese literary criticism during the Southern Dynasties period (420–589 CE). Critics of the time frequently used vivid textile metaphors to evaluate literary style, comparing fine writing to magnificent brocade fabric. The variant replaces "披" (to drape) with "舒" (to spread out), evoking the image of a brocade fully unfurled to reveal its splendor. It was later recorded in classical literary reference works as a set phrase for commending ornate and accomplished prose.
💡 Example Usage
这篇赋文辞烂若舒锦，读来令人心旷神怡。
The diction of this rhapsody is as brilliant as spread brocade, a delight to read.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 烂若舒锦
- Pinyin: làn ruò shū jǐn
- Literal Translation: brilliant, like, spread, brocade
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4