📖 Meaning
The 'jade' refers to the Jade Rabbit, a symbol of the moon, and the 'gold' refers to the Golden Crow, a symbol of the sun. The idiom depicts the sun and moon racing swiftly across the sky, metaphorically meaning that time flies by and life is fleeting.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from a poem by Lü Yan (吕岩) of the Tang Dynasty, titled 'To Daoist Liu of White Dragon Cave' (《寄白龙洞刘道人》), which laments that the jade rabbit and golden crow—the two luminaries—are ever busy. The Song Dynasty poet Liu Yong (柳永) also employed it in his ci poem 'Watching Flowers Return' (《看花回》), reflecting on the brevity of a hundred-year life as the sun and moon hasten on. The imagery draws on ancient Chinese mythology, where the Golden Crow carried the sun across the heavens and the Jade Rabbit dwelled in the moon.
💡 Example Usage
玉走金飞，转眼又是一年，功名未就，令人叹息。
The sun and moon race by; in the blink of an eye another year has passed, yet success remains unachieved—how it makes one sigh.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 玉走金飞
- Pinyin: yù zǒu jīn fēi
- Literal Translation: jade (rabbit) runs, gold (crow) flies
- Category: Philosophy
- Characters: 4