Tang bồng hồ thỉ

Definition

1. Idiom (Literary):
   • The aspirations of a true man; a man's lofty ambition to achieve great deeds and bring order to the world. This classical Sino-Vietnamese idiom originates from an ancient Chinese custom where, upon the birth of a son, a bow made of mulberry wood (tang hồ) and arrows made of cogongrass (bồng thỉ) were shot in six directions (sky, earth, and the four cardinal points). This ritual symbolized the parents' hope that the boy would grow up to travel far and wide, conquering challenges and establishing a significant legacy.

Usage Examples

• Idiom:
  • Tang bồng hồ thỉ là chí khí của kẻ làm trai. (The "tang bồng hồ thỉ" is the aspiration of a true man.)
  • Ông ấy mang trong mình chí tang bồng, quyết lập thân cho nên sự nghiệp. (He harbors the "tang bồng" ambition, determined to establish himself and achieve a great career.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is often shortened to "chí tang bồng" (the tang-bồng ambition) or "nợ tang bồng" (the tang-bồng debt), referring to the inherent duty or debt a man owes to fulfill his grand ambitions.
  • Nguyễn Công Trứ từng viết: "Tang bồng hồ thỉ nam nhi trái / Cái công danh là cái nợ nần." (Nguyễn Công Trứ once wrote: "A man owes the debt of 'tang bồng hồ thỉ' / Fame and success are a burdensome obligation.")

Variants and Related Words

• Chí tang bồng (n): The ambition or aspiration symbolized by the "tang bồng" idiom.
• Nợ tang bồng (n): The metaphorical debt or duty to fulfill one's grand ambitions as a man.

Synonyms

• Chí làm trai / Chí nam nhi: The ambition of a man.
• Chí khí: Spirit, mettle, lofty aspiration.
• Hoài bão: Ambition, dream.

Related Idioms

• Đầu đội trời, chân đạp đất: (Head under the sky, feet on the earth) Describing a heroic, imposing stature and spirit, often associated with the capability to fulfill the "tang bồng" ideal.
• Lập thân, lập nghiệp: To establish oneself and build a career, reflecting the practical aspect of the "tang bồng" aspiration.