安枕而卧 (Ān zhěn ér wò)

Basic Info

• Chinese Idiom: 安枕而卧 (Ān zhěn ér wò)
• Pinyin: ān zhěn ér wò
• Literal meaning: “To lay one’s pillow down and sleep.”
  (安 = to set / place securely; 枕 = pillow; 而 = and / then; 卧 = to lie down / sleep)

Figurative Definition

It means to sleep peacefully without a care – to be completely free from worry, anxiety, or fear. It describes a state of mind where all threats have been removed or neutralized, and one can finally relax and rest easy.

It is very close in meaning to “高枕无忧” (gāo zhěn wú yōu – “rest on a high pillow without worry”), but 安枕而卧 emphasizes the act of sleeping peacefully rather than the metaphorical “high pillow.”

In short: to rest easy because there is nothing left to fear.

Cultural & Historical Origin

This idiom comes from Sima Qian’s Records of the Grand Historian (《史记·黥布列传》), in the biography of Qing Bu (黥布), also known as Ying Bu (英布), a warlord during the Chu‑Han Contention.

A strategist analyzed the possible moves of Qing Bu and told Emperor Gaozu of Han (刘邦):

“使布出于上计，山东非汉之有也；出于中计，胜败之数未可知也；出于下计，陛下安枕而卧矣。”

“If Qing Bu takes the best strategy, the lands east of the mountains will no longer belong to Han. If he takes the middle strategy, victory or defeat is uncertain. If he takes the worst strategy, Your Majesty may lay down your pillow and sleep peacefully.”

The point was clear: if the enemy chooses a foolish, passive strategy, the emperor has nothing to worry about – he can literally go to sleep.

A later example appears in Ming Dynasty – Wang Shizhen, Yanyi Bian (王世贞《艳异编·戚里部一》):

“如是，上知计出于足下也，安枕而卧，长无惨怛之忧。”

“Thus, the emperor will know the plan came from you, and he will sleep peacefully, forever free from bitter worries.”

Key Lesson

True peace of mind comes from knowing the threat is gone. Worry keeps us awake; security lets us rest. But the idiom also carries a subtle warning: do not become “安枕而卧” prematurely – do not relax before the danger has truly passed. The wise person rests easy only when the situation genuinely warrants it, not out of wishful thinking.

Cultural Note

In modern Chinese, “安枕而卧” is a literary, formal idiom. It is less common in everyday speech than “高枕无忧”, but it appears in:

• Political and military commentary – describing a leader who can rest because a threat has been neutralized.
• Business – describing a company that has eliminated a competitive threat.
• Personal life – describing someone who has resolved a long-standing problem and can finally relax.

Its near-synonyms are “高枕无忧” (gāo zhěn wú yōu), “无忧无虑” (wú yōu wú lǜ – “carefree and without worry”), and “高枕而卧” (gāo zhěn ér wò – a direct variant).

Its opposites are “人人自危” (rén rén zì wēi – “everyone feels insecure”) and “忧心忡忡” (yōu xīn chōng chōng – “deeply worried and anxious”).

Similar English Expressions

• To sleep soundly – The most direct equivalent.
• To rest easy – To be free from worry.
• To sleep like a baby – To sleep deeply and peacefully, without a care.
• To breathe easy – To relax after a threat has passed.
• To put one’s mind at ease – To stop worrying.
• To be free from care – A direct descriptive phrase.
• To sleep the sleep of the just – To sleep peacefully with a clear conscience (literary).
• To let one’s guard down (Warning) – to relax when one shouldn’t (related caution).

The closest and most natural equivalents are “to sleep soundly,” “to rest easy,” and “to breathe easy.”

In short, “安枕而卧” means laying down one’s pillow and sleeping peacefully – a vivid image of being completely free from worry, and a reminder that true rest comes only when the danger has genuinely passed.