要留清白在人间

要留清白在人間

yào liú qīngbái zài rénjiān

quotation

Meanings

1 (I) want to leave purity behind in the human world
2 a vow to preserve one's integrity - from Yu Qian's poem on limestone

Characters

to leave behind

Examples

HSK 3

他退休时只说一句：要留清白在人间。

Tā tuìxiū shí zhǐ shuō yī jù: yàoliúqīngbáizàirénjiān.

At retirement he said just one line: 'I want to leave integrity behind in this world.'

HSK 7-9

做官不贪，要留清白在人间，这是于谦的气节。

Zuò guān bù tān, yàoliúqīngbáizàirénjiān, zhè shì Yú Qiān de qìjié.

Serving without corruption, to leave integrity in the world - that was Yu Qian's moral fiber.

Tips

history

From 于谦 Yu Qian (Ming dynasty) 《石灰吟》: 粉身碎骨浑不怕，要留清白在人间 - 'though ground to powder and smashed to bits, I fear nothing; I want to leave purity in the world.' Yu Qian, who saved Ming from Mongol invasion in 1449, was later executed on false charges - the poem proved autobiographical.

usage

清白 is a pun: literally 'clear white' (limestone's color after firing), figuratively 'moral purity / unsullied name.' Almost always quoted with 粉身碎骨浑不怕.

Stroke Order

要 yào

留 liú

清 qīng

白 bái

在 zài

人 rén

间 jiān