我本将心向明月

我本將心向明月

wǒ běn jiāng xīn xiàng míngyuè

quotation

Meanings

1 I turned my heart toward the bright moon
2 (fig.) I gave my sincere devotion - but it was not returned (bitter disappointment of unrequited love or loyalty)
3 I - originally - take - heart - toward - bright moon

Characters

moon (明月 = bright moon)

Examples

HSK 7-9

她叹气说：我本将心向明月，奈何明月照沟渠。

Tā tànqì shuō: wǒběnjiāngxīnxiàngmíngyuè, nàihé míngyuè zhào gōuqú.

She sighed: 'I turned my heart toward the bright moon, but alas the bright moon shines on the ditch.'

HSK 7-9

他对公司忠心耿耿，最后被辞退，真是我本将心向明月。

Tā duì gōngsī zhōngxīn-gěnggěng, zuìhòu bèi cítuì, zhēnshì wǒběnjiāngxīnxiàngmíngyuè.

He served the company with unwavering loyalty only to be laid off - truly 'I turned my heart toward the bright moon...'

Tips

history

Most commonly traced to the Yuan zaju 《琵琶记》 and widely circulated in late-imperial verse: 我本将心向明月，奈何明月照沟渠 (I turned my heart toward the bright moon - but alas the bright moon shines into the ditch). The image: you offer your heart to something pure and high (the moon); it ignores you and shines on a gutter instead. Exact original is disputed (traditionally attributed to 高明 in 《琵琶记》; also found in Yuan-era qu poetry) but the couplet has been proverbial since the Ming.

usage

Virtually always cited with the answering line 奈何明月照沟渠. 将 here is classical = 'to take / with' (not 'will' or 'general'). Modern use covers both romantic rejection and professional betrayal.

Stroke Order

我 wǒ

本 běn

将 jiāng

心 xīn

向 xiàng

明 míng

月 yuè