霸王别姬

霸王別姬

bàwáng-biéjī

idiom

Meanings

1 the Conqueror bids farewell to his concubine
2 (fig.) a heroic, tragic parting on the brink of defeat

Characters

hegemon; overlord

concubine; beauty

Examples

老板一意孤行，结果上演了一场霸王别姬。

Lǎobǎn yīyìgūxíng, jiéguǒ shàngyǎn le yī chǎng bàwángbiéjī.

The boss pushed ahead alone, and the result was a full 'Farewell My Concubine.'

今晚京剧团上演经典剧目《霸王别姬》。

Jīnwǎn Jīngjù tuán shàngyǎn jīngdiǎn jùmù 《 Bàwángbiéjī 》.

Tonight the Peking Opera troupe is performing the classic 'Farewell My Concubine.'

公司创始人被董事会逼走，颇有霸王别姬的悲壮。

Gōngsī chuàngshǐrén bèi dǒngshìhuì bī zǒu, pō yǒu bàwángbiéjī de bēi zhuàng.

The founder was forced out by the board, with something of the tragic grandeur of Xiang Yu's farewell.

Tips

history

From 《史记·项羽本纪》: as Chu king Xiang Yu is surrounded by Liu Bang's forces at Gaixia, he drinks a final cup with his concubine Yu Ji before his breakout. The scene — the doomed hero, the loyal concubine, the last song — became a set piece of Chinese literature and Peking opera.

culture

The 1993 Chen Kaige film 《霸王别姬》 won the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Separately, 霸王别姬 is also the name of a famous Huaiyang dish (braised turtle with chicken) — worth knowing if you see it on a menu.

Stroke Order

霸 bà

王 wáng

别 bié

姬 jī