📖 Meaning
Describes a lofty, bold, and uninhibited inspiration that wells up and soars. It is used when someone's spirits or creative energy are overflowing, especially in literary, artistic, or convivial settings.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase comes from the Tang dynasty prose masterpiece "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng" (《滕王阁序》) by the young poet Wang Bo, one of the Four Eminences of the early Tang. At a banquet overlooking the Gan River, he gazed far across the landscape and wrote the line "遥襟俯畅，逸兴遄飞" — "gazing afar, the heart expands; unfettered inspiration takes flight." Later writers condensed this into the idiom 逸兴横飞, extending it beyond the original scene to any surge of bold, elevated spirits.
💡 Example Usage
酒过三巡，他逸兴横飞，即席挥毫写下七律一首。
After a few rounds of wine, his inspiration took flight and he dashed off a seven-character octave on the spot.
🏷️ Category
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🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 逸兴横飞
- Pinyin: yì xìng héng fēi
- Literal Translation: unrestrained, inspiration, across, flies
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4