📖 Meaning
A metaphor for a subordinate's or minister's deep attachment and loyalty to their lord or sovereign. It likens the faithful servant's devotion to how dogs and horses remain devoted to and yearn for their master.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from a memorial by Cao Zhi (曹植) of the Wei kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period, titled "Shang Ze Gong Ying Zhao Shi Biao," in which he expressed his eager longing for the emperor with the phrase "犬马恋主之情" (the feeling of a dog or horse longing for its master). The Southern Dynasties (Song) poet Bao Zhao (鲍照) later echoed the expression in his poem "Cong Lin Hai Wang Shang Jing Chu Fa Xin Zhu." The image draws on how domestic animals like dogs and horses remain faithfully attached to their owners, symbolizing a minister's steadfast loyalty to his ruler.
💡 Example Usage
老臣虽已年迈，然犬马恋主之心未尝一日稍减。
Though this old minister is advanced in years, his loyal heart—like a dog or horse longing for its master—has never diminished for a single day.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 犬马恋主
- Pinyin: quǎn mǎ liàn zhǔ
- Literal Translation: dog, horse, long for, master
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4