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板荡识诚臣

板蕩識誠臣
bǎndàng shí chéngchén
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 in troubled times one knows the loyal minister
  2. 2 (fig.) true character is revealed only in adversity
  3. 3 (lit.) turmoil recognizes the honest official

Examples

古人云疾风知劲草，板荡识诚臣，危难之际方见人心。
Gǔrén yún jífēngzhījìngcǎo, bǎndàngshíchéngchén, wēinàn zhījì fāng jiàn rénxīn.
The ancients said 'fierce wind reveals the strong grass; turmoil reveals the honest minister' — only in crisis do you see true character.
公司最困难的时候，他坚持留下，正是板荡识诚臣。
Gōngsī zuì kùnnán de shíhou, tā jiānchí liúxià, zhèngshì bǎndàngshíchéngchén.
He chose to stay when the company was at its worst — 'turmoil reveals the loyal minister' indeed.

Tips

history
From 唐太宗《赐萧瑀》(Emperor Tang Taizong, early Tang, ~630s), a five-character quatrain praising his loyal minister Xiao Yu: 疾风知劲草，板荡识诚臣。勇夫安识义，智者必怀仁 (A fierce wind reveals the strong grass; turmoil reveals the honest minister. How could the merely brave know duty? — only the wise always hold benevolence). 板荡 = two 《诗经·大雅》poems, 板 and 荡, both mourning a chaotic age; the word came to stand for political upheaval itself.
usage
Almost always cited as the pair 疾风知劲草，板荡识诚臣 — quoting only the second line is idiomatic but evokes the first. A favorite Xi Jinping speech quote on cadre loyalty.

Stroke Order

板 bǎn
荡 dàng
识 shí
诚 chéng
臣 chén