燕雀安知鴻鵠志

See also: 燕雀安知鸿鹄志

Chinese

FWOTD – 9 January 2017

		bramble finch; brambling	how	to know; to be aware	big bird; swan; person with lofty aspirations	the will
trad. (燕雀安知鴻鵠志)		燕雀	安	知	鴻鵠	志
simp. (燕雀安知鸿鹄志)		燕雀	安	知	鸿鹄	志

Etymology

From Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian:

陳涉少時，嘗與人傭耕。輟耕之壟上，悵恨久之，曰：「苟富貴，無相忘。」傭者笑而應曰：「若為傭耕，何富貴也？」陳涉太息曰：「嗟乎，燕雀安知鴻鵠之志哉！」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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陈涉少时，尝与人佣耕。辍耕之垄上，怅恨久之，曰：「苟富贵，无相忘。」佣者笑而应曰：「若为佣耕，何富贵也？」陈涉太息曰：「嗟乎，燕雀安知鸿鹄之志哉！」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

Chén Shè shàoshí, cháng yǔ rén yōnggēng. Chuò gēng zhī lǒng shàng, chànghèn jiǔzhī, yuē: “Gǒu fùguì, wú xiàngwàng.” Yōng zhě xiào ér yìng yuē: “Ruò wèi yōnggēng, hé fùguì yě?” Chén Shè tàixī yuē: “Jiēhū, yànquè ān zhī hónghú zhī zhì zāi!” [Pinyin]

When Chen She was young, he worked in the fields with other day laborers. One day, he stopped working and climbed to the top of a hill. He was sullen for quite some time, then said, "If I become rich, I will not forget you all." The other workers laughed, and responded, "You're a day labourer, what riches?" Chen She sighed, and said, "Alas, how can a little songbird understand the ambitions of a grand swan!"

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yànquè ān zhī hónghú zhì

  (Zhuyin): ㄧㄢˋ ㄑㄩㄝˋ ㄢ ㄓ ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄏㄨˊ ㄓˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jin³ zoek³ on¹ zi¹ hung⁴ huk⁶ zi³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yànquè ān zhī hónghú zhì
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄢˋ ㄑㄩㄝˋ ㄢ ㄓ ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄏㄨˊ ㄓˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yàncyuè an jhih hónghú jhìh
    • Wade–Giles: yen⁴-chʻüeh⁴ an¹ chih¹ hung²-hu² chih⁴
    • Yale: yàn-chywè ān jr̄ húng-hú jr̀
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yannchiueh an jy hornghwu jyh
    • Palladius: яньцюэ ань чжи хунху чжи (janʹcjue anʹ čži xunxu čži)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛ⁵¹ ˀän⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ xʊŋ³⁵ xu³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jin³ zoek³ on¹ zi¹ hung⁴ huk⁶ zi³
    • Yale: yin jeuk ōn jī hùhng huhk ji
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jin³ dzoek⁸ on¹ dzi¹ hung⁴ huk⁹ dzi³
    • Guangdong Romanization: yin³ zêg³ on¹ ji¹ hung⁴ hug⁶ ji³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiːn³³ t͡sœːk̚³ ɔːn⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ hʊŋ²¹ hʊk̚² t͡siː³³/

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• Middle Chinese: 'enH tsjak 'an trje huwng howk tsyiH

Rime
Character	燕	雀	安	知	鴻	鵠	志
Reading #	2/2	1/1	1/1	1/1	1/2	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	影 (34)	精 (13)	影 (34)	知 (9)	匣 (33)	匣 (33)	章 (23)
Final (韻)	先 (85)	藥 (107)	寒 (61)	支 (11)	東 (1)	沃 (6)	之 (19)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)	Checked (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Checked (Ø)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open	Open
Division (等)	IV	III	I	III	I	I	III
Fanqie	於甸切	即略切	烏寒切	陟移切	戸公切	胡沃切	職吏切
Baxter	'enH	tsjak	'an	trje	huwng	howk	tsyiH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔenH/	/t͡sɨɐk̚/	/ʔɑn/	/ʈiᴇ/	/ɦuŋ/	/ɦuok̚/	/t͡ɕɨH/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔenH/	/t͡siɐk̚/	/ʔɑn/	/ʈiɛ/	/ɦuŋ/	/ɦuok̚/	/t͡ɕɨH/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔɛnH/	/t͡siɑk̚/	/ʔɑn/	/ȶjɛ/	/ɣuŋ/	/ɣok̚/	/t͡ɕieH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔɛnH/	/t͡sɨak̚/	/ʔan/	/ʈiə̆/	/ɦəwŋ/	/ɦawk̚/	/cɨH/
Li Rong	/ʔenH/	/t͡siak̚/	/ʔɑn/	/ȶie/	/ɣuŋ/	/ɣok̚/	/t͡ɕiəH/
Wang Li	/ienH/	/t͡sĭak̚/	/ɑn/	/ȶǐe/	/ɣuŋ/	/ɣuok̚/	/t͡ɕĭəH/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʔienH/	/t͡si̯ak̚/	/ʔɑn/	/ȶie̯/	/ɣuŋ/	/ɣuok̚/	/t͡ɕiH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yàn	jue	ān	zhī	hóng	hú	zhì
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jin3	zoek3	on1	zi1	hung4	huk6	zi3

Proverb

燕雀安知鴻鵠志

1. (figuratively) How can an ordinary person understand the ambitions of a great person?

   • 至夜分，縣令喚親隨人暗地取出曹操，且至後院中審究；問曰：「我聞丞相待汝不薄，何故自取其禍？」操曰：「『燕雀安知鴻鵠志哉』？汝既拏住我，便當解去請賞。何必多問！」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     至夜分，县令唤亲随人暗地取出曹操，且至后院中审究；问曰：「我闻丞相待汝不薄，何故自取其祸？」操曰：「『燕雀安知鸿鹄志哉』？汝既拿住我，便当解去请赏。何必多问！」 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, circa 14^th century CE

     Zhì yèfēn, xiànlìng huàn qīnsuí rén àndì qǔ chū Cáo Cāo, qiě zhì hòuyuàn zhōng shěnjiū; wèn yuē: “Wǒ wén chéngxiàng dài rǔ bùbó, hégù zìqǔqíhuò?” Cāo yuē: “‘Yànquè ān zhī hónghú zhì zāi’? Rǔ jì ná zhù wǒ, biàndang jiě qù qǐngshǎng. Hébì duō wèn!” [Pinyin]

     At midnight, the county governor ordered his personal aides to discreetly escort Cao Cao to the rear courtyard for questioning; he asked, "I have heard that the chancellor treats you very well, so why have you brought such trouble upon yourself?" Cao said, "'How can a little songbird understand the ambitions of a grand swan?' You have captured me, and now you can leisurely turn me over to the authorities and collect your reward. Why ask more questions!"

Related terms

• 鴻鵠之志／鸿鹄之志 (hónghúzhīzhì)

Descendants

• → Japanese: 燕雀(えんじゃく)安(いずく)んぞ鴻鵠(こうこく)の志(こころざし)を知(し)らんや (enjaku izukunzo kōkoku no kokorozashi o shiran'ya) (calque)