Basic Info
Chinese Idiom: 闻鸡起舞
Pinyin: wén jī qǐ wǔ
Literal meaning: Rise to practice sword-dancing upon hearing roosters crow.
Extended meaning: Ambitious people seize every moment to strive hard and temper themselves for lofty goals.
Cultural Supplement
This idiom comes from a famous inspirational historical story, Zu Ti’s Northern Expedition, in ancient China. It has always been a positive motto to encourage people to be diligent, self-disciplined and determined to make achievements, widely used to praise diligent and aspiring people.
Original Sources & English Translation
- Book of Jin · Biography of Zu Ti
Zu Ti and Liu Kun were close friends and colleagues. They shared the same bed to sleep. In the middle of the night, hearing wild roosters crow, Zu Ti kicked Liu Kun awake and said: “This is not an inauspicious sound!” Then they got up immediately to practice swordsmanship. - The Story of Awakening the World (Qing Dynasty)
Now frontier war news keeps coming and urgent military dispatches spread everywhere. It is time for loyal officials to endure hardships and for rulers and ministers to share worries. One should rise at cockcrow to strive for success and resolve to defeat the enemy at the earliest chance.
Usage
It is a commendatory idiom, mainly used to describe people with lofty ideals who are diligent, self-motivated and spare no effort to fulfill their aspirations.
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