月夜花朝

yuè yè huā zhāo
Literal: "moon, night, flower, morning"

📖 Meaning

A moonlit night and a flower-filled morning. It refers to beautiful scenery and wonderful moments in time. In classical usage, it specifically denoted the 15th day of the second lunar month and the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.

📜 Origin Story

The phrase originates from the Biography of Luo Wei in the Old Book of Tang (《旧唐书·罗威传》), which records that Luo Wei would compose poetry with his guests and advisors on every flower morning and moon evening, showing great literary refinement. Over time, the expression came to represent idyllic scenery and pleasant occasions. The Yuan dynasty playwright Zhou Wenzhi also employed it in his work 《赏花时·风情》.

💡 Example Usage

他们常在月夜花朝相聚,吟诗作对,好不风雅。

They often gathered on moonlit nights and flower-filled mornings to compose poetry, quite refined and elegant.

🏷️ Category

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🔤 Quick Facts

  • Chinese: 月夜花朝
  • Pinyin: yuè yè huā zhāo
  • Literal Translation: moon, night, flower, morning
  • Category: Lifestyle
  • Characters: 4