📖 Meaning
A grand banquet is hard to encounter again. It is a metaphor for beautiful and memorable moments being rare and impossible to recreate. The phrase expresses a wistful appreciation for fleeting good times.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Tang dynasty poet Wang Bo's famous 'Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng' (滕王阁序), written around 675 CE. Wang Bo composed this celebrated piece at a lavish banquet hosted by Yan Du, the prefect of Hongzhou, held at the Tengwang Pavilion overlooking the Gan River. The original text reads '胜地不常，盛筵难再' — famous places do not endure, and grand banquets are hard to repeat — expressing a melancholic awareness that such splendid gatherings and scenic beauty are transient and precious.
💡 Example Usage
这次聚会大家格外珍惜，毕竟盛宴难再，不知何日才能重聚。
Everyone treasured this reunion all the more, for such a feast is hard to recreate and no one knows when they might gather again.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 盛宴难再
- Pinyin: shèng yàn nán zài
- Literal Translation: grand, banquet, difficult, again
- Category: Philosophy
- Characters: 4