📖 Meaning
The fowler cannot seize the wild goose that flies far into the deep sky. It metaphorically describes a worthy person who lives in seclusion, remaining beyond the reach of those in power or amid chaos. The idiom praises the wisdom of withdrawing from a corrupt world.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from "Fa Yan" (法言), a philosophical work by the Han dynasty scholar Yang Xiong (扬雄), specifically the chapter "Wen Ming" (问明). Yang Xiong wrote, "鸿飞冥冥，弋人何篡焉" — the wild goose flies into the deep distant sky, how can the fowler seize it? He used this image to illustrate that a virtuous person who retreats from worldly affairs stays beyond the grasp of tyrants and the powerful. The metaphor became a classical expression for the ideal of reclusion amid political turmoil.
💡 Example Usage
贤者隐遁山林，弋人何篡，暴政亦无可奈何。
The worthy man retreats to the mountains and forests — like the goose beyond the fowler's reach, even tyranny can do nothing against him.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 弋人何篡
- Pinyin: yì rén hé cuàn
- Literal Translation: bird-shooter, how, seize
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4