Gối cuốc kêu
Definition
- Proper Noun (Historical/Cultural Artifact):
- "Pillow of the Cuckoo's Call": A legendary pillow from Chinese history and literature, specifically associated with the Song Dynasty scholar Chu Liêm Khê (Zhou Lianxi). It is said that when one lay upon this pillow to sleep, they would hear the sound of a cuckoo bird calling.
Usage Examples
- Proper Noun:
- Truyền thuyết kể về "Gối cuốc kêu" của Chu Liêm Khê. (The legend tells of Chu Liêm Khê's "Pillow of the Cuckoo's Call".)
- "Gối cuốc kêu" là một điển tích văn học thú vị. ("Pillow of the Cuckoo's Call" is an interesting literary allusion.)
Advanced Usage
- This term is primarily used as a literary allusion or cultural reference within Vietnamese literature and historical texts to evoke themes of scholarly life, tranquility in nature, or poetic inspiration drawn from simple objects.
Variants and Related Words
- Đỗ quyên: (n) cuckoo bird. This is the bird whose call the pillow supposedly produced.
- Tiếng đỗ quyên kêu báo hiệu mùa hè. (The call of the cuckoo signals summer.)
Synonyms
- Legendary pillow: A pillow with mythical or fabled properties.
- Literary allusion: A reference to a well-known story or object from literature.
Related Idioms
- While not a common idiom itself, "Gối cuốc kêu" functions as a cultural idiom. It can symbolize a source of poetic inspiration or a connection to the natural world even in rest.