📖 Meaning
Like a dragon hibernating and an inchworm bending its body, this idiom metaphorically describes someone who lives in seclusion and declines to take public office. It conveys the wisdom of withdrawing from the world to preserve oneself during unfavorable times.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase derives from the 'Xi Ci' (Appended Remarks) chapter of the Yijing, or Book of Changes, a foundational text of the Zhou dynasty. The original passage states: 'The inchworm bends its body so that it may stretch forward; the dragon and snake hibernate so that they may preserve themselves.' This observation of natural creatures adapting to adversity was later distilled into the four-character idiom. During the Ming dynasty, Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng employed it in his letter 'Reply to Minister of Works Lu Wutai,' using it to describe a person of talent who chose to remain in obscurity rather than serve in government.
💡 Example Usage
他才华横溢却龙蛰蠖屈，隐居山林不问世事。
Though full of talent, he chose to live in seclusion like a hibernating dragon and bending inchworm, withdrawing to the mountains and ignoring worldly affairs.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 龙蛰蠖屈
- Pinyin: lóng zhé huò qū
- Literal Translation: dragon, hibernate, inchworm, bend
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4