📖 Meaning
This idiom describes a dim and hazy scene where willows and flowers are partially obscured in the deep of night. It evokes a朦胧, dreamlike atmosphere where shapes blur and colors fade into shadow. The phrase is often used to depict romantic or melancholy nighttime scenery.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from a musical suite by the Yuan dynasty playwright Wu Changling (吴昌龄), titled 'Duanzheng Hao · Beautiful Courtesan' (《端正好·美妓》). In the original text, the poet describes the long passage of a late night—candle shadows flickering, incense burning—and how the willows and flowers outside are dimly veiled as dawn begins to break. The imagery captures the delicate transition between deep night and early morning, when the world is still wrapped in shadow.
💡 Example Usage
夜深人静，庭院中柳暗花遮，别有一番朦胧之美。
In the dead of night, the courtyard was veiled in dim willows and flowers, possessing a unique hazy beauty.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 柳暗花遮
- Pinyin: liǔ àn huā zhē
- Literal Translation: willow, dark, flower, shaded
- Category: Clarity
- Characters: 4