燕雀安知鴻鵠志

See also: 燕雀安知鸿鹄志

Chinese

FWOTD – 9 January 2017

		bramble finch; brambling; swallow and sparrow	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.]

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 ㄢㄓㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄏㄨˊ ㄓˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): jin³ zoek³ on¹ zi¹ hung⁴ huk⁶ zi³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: yànquè ān zhī hónghú zhì
  - Zhuyin: ㄧㄢˋ ㄑㄩㄝˋ ㄢㄓㄏㄨㄥˊ 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 t͡ɕʰɥɛ⁵¹ ˀän⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ xʊŋ³⁵ xu³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - 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 t͡ʃœːk̚³ ɔːn⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ hʊŋ²¹ hʊk̚² t͡siː³³/

Middle Chinese: /ʔen^H t͡sɨɐk̚ ʔɑn ʈiᴇ ɦuŋ ɦuok̚ t͡ɕɨ^H/

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)	陽 (107)	寒 (61)	支 (11)	東 (1)	冬 (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
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔen^H/	/t͡sɨɐk̚/	/ʔɑn/	/ʈiᴇ/	/ɦuŋ/	/ɦuok̚/	/t͡ɕɨ^H/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔen^H/	/t͡siɐk̚/	/ʔɑn/	/ʈiɛ/	/ɦuŋ/	/ɦuok̚/	/t͡ɕɨ^H/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔɛn^H/	/t͡siɑk̚/	/ʔɑn/	/ȶjɛ/	/ɣuŋ/	/ɣok̚/	/t͡ɕie^H/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔɛn^H/	/t͡sɨak̚/	/ʔan/	/ʈiə̆/	/ɦəwŋ/	/ɦawk̚/	/cɨ^H/
Li Rong	/ʔen^H/	/t͡siak̚/	/ʔɑn/	/ȶie/	/ɣuŋ/	/ɣok̚/	/t͡ɕiə^H/
Wang Li	/ien^H/	/t͡sĭak̚/	/ɑn/	/ȶǐe/	/ɣuŋ/	/ɣuok̚/	/t͡ɕĭə^H/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʔien^H/	/t͡si̯ak̚/	/ʔɑn/	/ȶie̯/	/ɣuŋ/	/ɣuok̚/	/t͡ɕi^H/
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

(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)