📖 Meaning
This idiom refers to a beautiful and affectionate woman. It alludes to a legendary woman who, captivated by the poet Song Yu, would peek at him over the wall for years, embodying both beauty and longing.
📜 Origin Story
During the Warring States period, the Chu poet Song Yu wrote 'The Rhapsody on Dengtu Zi's Love of Beauty,' in which he described a woman living to the east of his house who was the most beautiful in all of Chu. She climbed the wall to gaze at Song Yu for three years, yet he never reciprocated her attention. The phrase '宋玉东墙' (Song Yu's eastern wall) thus came to symbolize a beautiful, passionate woman who admires another.
💡 Example Usage
这位姑娘容貌出众，人称宋玉东墙，引来许多青年倾慕。
This young woman has an outstanding appearance and is called a 'Song Yu's eastern wall,' drawing the admiration of many young men.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 宋玉东墙
- Pinyin: sòng yù dōng qiáng
- Literal Translation: Song Yu, east, wall
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4