📖 Meaning
To release military cattle and horses back to civilian life, signifying the cessation of war. It symbolizes demobilizing armies and restoring peace after a period of conflict.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Book of Documents (《书·武成》), which records that after King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang dynasty, he returned warhorses to the southern slopes of Mount Hua and released military cattle in the wilderness of Taolin, demonstrating to the world that warfare had ended. The Sui dynasty scholar Xue Daocheng echoed this image in his biography (《隋书·薛道衡传》), describing a unified empire at peace where arms were laid aside and culture flourished. The idiom thus represents the transition from military conquest to civil governance.
💡 Example Usage
天下太平之后，朝廷休牛归马，与民休息。
After peace was restored across the realm, the court released its war horses and oxen, allowing the people to recover.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 休牛归马
- Pinyin: xiū niú guī mǎ
- Literal Translation: rest, ox, return, horse
- Category: Action
- Characters: 4