Hang trống còn vời tiếng chân
Definition
- Idiomatic Phrase:
- An empty cave still echoes with the sound of footsteps: A classical literary allusion describing the profound joy and rare fortune of finding a kindred spirit or receiving a longed-for connection in a place of solitude or emptiness. It conveys the idea of unexpected companionship or intellectual resonance in a void.
Usage Examples
- Idiomatic Phrase:
- Sau nhiều năm cô đơn nghiên cứu, gặp được một học giả cùng chí hướng, ông cảm thấy như "hang trống còn vời tiếng chân". (After many lonely years of research, meeting a scholar with similar aspirations, he felt the joy of "an empty cave still echoing with the sound of footsteps".)
- Nhận được thư bạn từ phương xa trong lúc buồn, lòng cô bỗng vui như cảm nhận được "hang trống còn vời tiếng chân". (Receiving a friend's letter from afar while sad, her heart suddenly felt joy as if perceiving "an empty cave still echoing with the sound of footsteps".)
Advanced Usage
- This phrase is a calque from Classical Chinese, originating from the Daoist philosopher Zhuangzi. It is used in high-register literary or poetic contexts in Vietnamese to express intellectual or spiritual solace.
- It often implies a prior state of isolation, where the "sound of footsteps" symbolizes a welcomed interruption—a message, a visit, or an idea—that breaks the silence meaningfully.
Variants and Related Words
- Đào không cốc (v): To flee into an empty valley; a classical reference to seeking refuge in solitude, from the same source.
- Tâm trạng chán đời, ông chỉ muốn "đào không cốc" mà ở ẩn. (Weary of life, he only wished to "flee into an empty valley" and live in seclusion.)
Synonyms
- A friend in need is a friend indeed: Highlights the value of companionship in difficulty, though less philosophical.
- Kindred spirits: Refers to people with similar tastes or attitudes, capturing the theme of resonance.
- Solace in solitude: The comfort found in being alone, but this phrase specifically highlights the interruption of that solitude by a welcome presence.
Related Idioms
- Đồng thanh tương ứng, đồng khí tương cầu: Like attracts like; people of the same nature seek each other out. This shares the theme of finding resonance.
- Họ trở thành bạn thân vì "đồng thanh tương ứng". (They became close friends because "like attracts like".)
- Tri âm tri kỷ: A soulmate or a bosom friend who deeply understands you. This is the ideal outcome hinted at by the phrase.
- Tìm được "tri âm tri kỷ" trong đời là điều quý giá. (Finding a "soulmate" in life is a precious thing.)