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家祭无忘告乃翁

家祭無忘告乃翁
jiā jì wú wàng gào nǎi wēng
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 when you hold the family sacrifice, do not forget to tell your old father
  2. 2 Lu You's dying instruction to his sons: report to me when China is reunited
  3. 3 unshakable patriotism even beyond the grave

Examples

HSK 6
这句家祭无忘告乃翁道尽了陆游一生的执念。
Zhè jù jiājìwúwànggàonǎiwēng dào jìn le Lùyóu yìshēng de zhí niàn.
This line, 'at the family rite, don't forget to tell your old father', captures Lu You's lifelong obsession.
HSK 7-9
王师北定中原日，家祭无忘告乃翁。
Wángshīběidìngzhōngyuánrì, jiājìwúwànggàonǎiwēng.
On the day royal armies retake the Central Plains, at the family rite do not forget to tell your old father.

Tips

history
From Lu You's (陆游, Southern Song dynasty) deathbed poem 《示儿》: 死去元知万事空，但悲不见九州同。王师北定中原日，家祭无忘告乃翁 - 'Dying, I know all things are empty; only grief that I did not see the nine provinces reunited. On the day royal armies retake the Central Plains, at the family sacrifice do not forget to tell your old father.' Lu You died in 1210 with the north still under Jurchen rule; this is his instruction to his sons.
usage
乃 is classical for 'your'; 翁 is 'old man / father'. So 乃翁 = 'your father' (referring to the poet himself). This is the single most famous patriotic-final-words couplet in Chinese history; Chinese students still recite it.

Stroke Order

家 jiā
祭 jì
无 wú
忘 wàng
告 gào
乃 nǎi
翁 wēng