📖 Meaning
Banished officials and melancholy poets. The term refers broadly to literati who have been demoted, exiled, or frustrated in their ambitions, often given to sorrow and introspection. It evokes the image of dispirited scholars gathering to lament their fate through poetry.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from Fan Zhongyan's famous Northern Song essay 'Record of Yueyang Tower' (《岳阳楼记》), written around 1046 CE. Fan Zhongyan, himself a demoted official, described how Yueyang Tower at Dongting Lake became a gathering place for banished officials and poets whose fortunes had declined. Moved by the shifting scenery of the lake, these literati would pour their grief and longing into verse, making the tower a symbol of scholarly disappointment and resilience.
💡 Example Usage
自古以来，洞庭湖畔便是迁客骚人吟咏抒怀之地。
Since ancient times, the shores of Dongting Lake have been a place where banished officials and melancholy poets gather to compose verse and pour out their hearts.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 迁客骚人
- Pinyin: qiān kè sāo rén
- Literal Translation: banished official, melancholy poet
- Category: Status
- Characters: 4