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风萧萧兮易水寒

風蕭蕭兮易水寒
fēng xiāoxiāo xī yì shuǐ hán
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 the wind soughs, and the Yi River runs cold
  2. 2 desolate, resolute departure toward almost-certain death
  3. 3 lit. wind — soughing! — the Yi water is cold

Examples

踏上这趟危险任务，他想起风萧萧兮易水寒。
Tàshàng zhè tàng wēixiǎn rènwù, tā xiǎngqǐ fēngxiāoxiāoxīyìshuǐhán.
Setting out on this dangerous mission, he thought of "the wind soughs and the Yi River runs cold".
告别时全场寂静，真有风萧萧兮易水寒的氛围。
Gàobié shí quánchǎng jìjìng, zhēn yǒu fēngxiāoxiāoxīyìshuǐhán de fēnwéi.
The whole farewell was in silence — truly the mood of "the wind soughs and the Yi River runs cold".

Tips

history
From 《易水歌》, said to be sung by Jing Ke (荆轲) at the Yi River (易水) in 227 BCE as he departed to assassinate the King of Qin (later First Emperor): 风萧萧兮易水寒，壮士一去兮不复还 — 'The wind soughs, the Yi River runs cold — once the brave man departs, he will not return.' Recorded in 《史记·刺客列传》. The archetypal Chinese couplet of resolute, doomed farewell.
usage
Always cited together with 壮士一去兮不复还. 兮 is the Chu-ci / ancient-song exclamatory particle (no meaning, rhythmic). 萧萧 is onomatopoeic for wind sighing through.

Stroke Order

风 fēng
萧 xiāo
兮 xī
易 yì
水 shuǐ
寒 hán