历览前贤国与家

歷覽前賢國與家

Lì lǎn qián xián guó yǔ jiā

quotation

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

HSK 7-9

历览前贤国与家，成由勤俭败由奢。

Lìlǎnqiánxiánguóyǔjiā, chéngyóuqínjiǎnbàiyóushē.

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

HSK 7-9

读历史就是历览前贤国与家，从中吸取教训。

Dú lìshǐ jiùshì lìlǎnqiánxiánguóyǔjiā, 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 = 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