墙角数枝梅

牆角數枝梅
qiángjiǎoshùzhīméi
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 a few sprays of plum at the corner of the wall
  2. 2 Wang Anshi's opening image — plum blossoms in a forgotten corner, quietly blooming through winter

Examples

Yuànzi hòumiàn qiángjiǎo shù zhī méi, dōngtiān yī kāi, mǎn yuàn qīngxiāng.
A few sprays of plum at the wall corner behind the yard — when they bloom in winter, the whole courtyard smells sweet.
Tā xiě shī xǐhuān yòng "qiángjiǎo shù zhī méi" lái bǐyù mòmò jiānshǒu de rén.
In her poems she likes using 'a few sprays of plum at the wall corner' to symbolize people who endure quietly.

Tips

history
From 《梅花》 by 王安石 (Wang Anshi, Northern Song): '墙角独自不是.' Wang wrote it after political defeat — the plum, blooming alone against the cold, is the self-portrait.
culture
(plum) is one of the 君子 (Four Gentlemen) of Chinese painting, along with orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum — a symbol of integrity through adversity.

Stroke Order

qiáng
jiǎo
shù
zhī
méi