历览前贤国与家

歷覽前賢國與家

lìlǎnqiánxiánguóyǔjiā

phrase

Meanings

1 surveying the states and families of former worthies throughout history
2 looking over the fates of past sages' countries and households (as a source of lessons)

Characters

Examples

历览前贤国与家，成由勤俭败由奢。

Lì lǎn qián xián guó yǔ jiā, chéng yóu qínjiǎn bài yóu shē.

Surveying the states and houses of former worthies: success came from thrift, ruin from extravagance.

读历史就是历览前贤国与家，从中吸取教训。

Dú lìshǐ jiùshì lì lǎn qián xián guó yǔ jiā, cóngzhōng xīqǔ jiàoxùn.

Reading history is ‘surveying the states and houses of past worthies’ — drawing lessons from them.

Tips

history

From Li Shangyin 李商隐's Tang 《咏史二首·其二》: ‘历览前贤国与家，成由勤俭败由奢。’ (Surveying the states and houses of former worthies: success came from thrift, ruin from extravagance.) Li Shangyin drew on the late-Tang political decay he saw around him.

usage

历览 (lìlǎn) = to survey all, review throughout. Almost always paired with 成由勤俭败由奢.

Stroke Order

历 lì

览 lǎn

前 qián

贤 xián

国 guó

与 yǔ

家 jiā