大旱望雲霓

Chinese

	great drought	hope; expect; to visit hope; expect; to visit; to gaze (into the distance); look towards; towards
trad. (大旱望雲霓)	大旱	望	雲霓
simp. (大旱望云霓)	大旱	望	云霓
Literally: “long for a rain cloud during a drought”.

Alternative forms

大旱望雲／大旱望云 (dàhànwàngyún)
大旱雲霓／大旱云霓 (dàhànyúnní)
大旱之望雲霓／大旱之望云霓 (dàhàn zhī wàng yúnní)

Etymology

From the Mencius.

臣聞七十里為政於天下者，湯是也。……民望之，若大旱之望雲霓也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

臣闻七十里为政于天下者，汤是也。……民望之，若大旱之望云霓也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Chén wén qīshí lǐ wéizhèng yú tiānxià zhě, Tāng shì yě....... Mín wàng zhī, ruò dàhàn zhī wàng yúnní yě. [Pinyin]

I have heard of one who with seventy li exercised all the functions of government throughout the kingdom. That was Tang. […] Thus, the people looked to him, as we look in a time of great drought to the clouds and rainbows.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): dàhàn wàng yúnní
(Zhuyin): ㄉㄚˋ ㄏㄢˋ ㄨㄤˋ ㄩㄣˊ ㄋㄧˊ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: dàhàn wàng yúnní
  - Zhuyin: ㄉㄚˋ ㄏㄢˋ ㄨㄤˋ ㄩㄣˊ ㄋㄧˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: dàhàn wàng yúnní
  - Wade–Giles: ta⁴-han⁴ wang⁴ yün²-ni²
  - Yale: dà-hàn wàng yún-ní
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: dahhann wanq yunni
  - Palladius: дахань ван юньни (daxanʹ van junʹni)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tä⁵¹⁻⁵³ xän⁵¹⁻⁵³ wɑŋ⁵¹ yn³⁵ ni³⁵/

Idiom

大旱望雲霓

to look forward to relief from distress