📖 Meaning
Refers to 'Yangguan Three Folds,' a famous guqin (zither) melody composed from Tang poet Wang Wei's farewell poem 'Sending Yuan Er on a Mission to Anxi.' The piece is divided into three sections where the original poem is repeated three times, hence 'three folds.' It has come to broadly denote farewell songs expressing the sorrow of parting.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom traces to Song dynasty poet Zhou Bangyan's ci poem 'Su Mu Zhe,' which mentions 'The sound of San Die Yang Guan gradually fades.' The melody itself is built upon Tang dynasty poet Wang Wei's renowned farewell poem 'Sending Yuan Er on a Mission to Anxi,' describing a friend's departure through Yangguan Pass. Later qin musicians expanded the poem into a full composition, adding verses that elaborate on the sentiment of separation. Since the piece is divided into three sections with the original verse repeated three times, it became known as 'Three Folds of Yangguan.' Over time, the phrase came to refer generally to any farewell song conveying the grief of parting.
💡 Example Usage
送别会上，一曲三叠阳关让众人无不潸然泪下。
At the farewell gathering, a rendition of 'San Die Yang Guan' moved everyone present to tears.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 三叠阳关
- Pinyin: sān dié yáng guān
- Literal Translation: three, fold/repeat, Yangguan (Yang Pass)
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4