📖 Meaning
A grand banquet is hard to come by a second time. This idiom metaphorically means that splendid occasions and rare opportunities are difficult to encounter again. It encourages people to cherish the moment when it arrives.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase originates from the Tang Dynasty poet Wang Bo's famous 'Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng' (《滕王阁诗序》). Wang Bo, one of the Four Eminences of Early Tang, composed this piece at a literary gathering held at the Pavilion of Prince Teng in Nanchang. The full line reads '胜地不常，盛筵难再' — famous scenic spots do not remain unchanged, and grand banquets cannot easily be repeated. Wang Bo used this to lament the fleeting nature of such magnificent gatherings.
💡 Example Usage
这次同学聚会真是盛筵难再，大家都要好好珍惜。
This class reunion is truly a rare occasion that won't easily come again, so everyone should cherish it.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 盛筵难再
- Pinyin: shèng yán nán zài
- Literal Translation: grand, banquet, hard, again
- Category: Philosophy
- Characters: 4