Quy khứ lai hề

Definition
  1. Phrase (Literary/Classical):
    • "Let us return, oh!": A classical literary phrase expressing a strong desire or exclamation to return to one's origin, homeland, or a simpler, purer state. It is deeply associated with the poet Tao Qian (Đào Tiềm) and his philosophy of retreating from official life to a pastoral existence.
Usage Examples
  • Phrase:
    • Đọc thơ Đào Tiềm, ta thường bắt gặp tinh thần "quy khứ lai hề". (Reading Tao Qian's poetry, one often encounters the spirit of "let us return, oh!".)
    • "Quy khứ lai hề" là tiếng gọi tha thiết về với thiên nhiên. ("Let us return, oh!" is a heartfelt call to return to nature.)
Advanced Usage
  • This phrase is almost exclusively used in literary analysis, historical discussion, or poetic reference to describe a theme of renunciation and return. It is not used in everyday modern conversation.
  • It serves as a shorthand reference to Tao Qian's most famous work, ("Returning Home"), and the entire ethos it represents.
Variants and Related Words
  • "Quy khứ lai từ" (Guiqulaixi ci): The full title of Tao Qian's prose-poem, meaning "On Returning Home".
  • "Quy ẩn" (v): to retreat from the world, to live in seclusion.
    • Ông ấy quyết định quy ẩn ở vùng núi. (He decided to retreat to the mountains.)
Synonyms
  • Return: to go or come back.
  • Retreat: to withdraw from society or a position.
  • Renunciation: the formal rejection of something, typically a belief or claim.
Related Idioms and Concepts
  • "Lui về vườn": to retire to one's garden (a Vietnamese idiom with a similar connotation of leaving public service for private, simple life).
  • The theme of "bỏ quan về quê": leaving an official post to return to one's native village, directly exemplified by Tao Qian's life and this phrase.