Khoé thu ba
Definition
- Noun (Literary):
- Autumn wave's corner / edge of autumn ripples: A classical Sino-Vietnamese poetic term literally meaning the corner or edge of autumn water ripples. It is a metaphor used to describe the beautiful, clear, and expressive eyes of a woman, often implying a look that is deep, gentle, or melancholic like autumn water.
- Beautiful eyes: By metonymy, it directly refers to the captivating eyes of a beautiful woman, as depicted in classical Eastern literature and poetry.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Đôi mắt nàng long lanh tựa khoé thu ba. (Her eyes sparkled like the edge of autumn ripples.)
- Vẻ đẹp ấy được gói gọn trong đôi mắt, trong khoé thu ba đầy tâm sự. (That beauty was encapsulated in her eyes, in the profound "khoé thu ba" full of sentiment.)
Advanced Usage
- This term is almost exclusively found in classical or highly literary contexts, such as poetry, ancient texts, or stylized prose. It is not used in everyday modern conversation.
Variants and Related Words
- Thu ba (n): Autumn waves/ripples. The core element of the metaphor.
- Mặt hồ gợn lên những thu ba. (The lake surface rippled with autumn waves.)
- Mắt thu ba (n): A related phrase meaning "autumn wave eyes," used similarly to describe beautiful eyes.
Synonyms
- Beautiful eyes: The general modern equivalent.
- Làn thu thủy (Literary): Another classical phrase meaning "a stream of autumn water," used similarly to describe eyes.
Related Idioms and Classical References
- The term is famously associated with lines from classical works like (Lament of a Warrior's Wife): (The edge of autumn ripples ripples with city-toppling beauty).
- It often appears in parallel structures with other metaphors for beauty, such as (eyebrows like spring mountains).