Vẫy mặt trời lùi lại
Definition
- Proper Noun / Idiom:
- To wave the sun back: A classical Chinese-Vietnamese literary idiom originating from a historical legend. It describes a heroic, superhuman act of waving a weapon (like a spear or halberd) to command the setting sun to retreat, thereby prolonging daylight. It symbolizes extraordinary willpower, valor, and the determination to defy natural limits to achieve a goal.
Usage Examples
- Proper Noun / Idiom:
- Với ý chí "vẫy mặt trời lùi lại", các bác sĩ đã cố gắng cứu sống bệnh nhân. (With the willpower of "waving the sun back," the doctors tried their utmost to save the patient.)
- Tinh thần "vẫy mặt trời lùi lại" của dân tộc đã giúp vượt qua nhiều thử thách. (The nation's spirit of "waving the sun back" helped overcome many challenges.)
Advanced Usage
- This phrase is almost exclusively used in literary, rhetorical, or highly formal contexts to evoke a sense of epic struggle and heroic effort. It is not used in everyday conversation.
Origin and Cultural Context
- The idiom originates from a Chinese legend about a warrior, often identified as Lu Yang Gong during the Warring States period. As he was fiercely fighting a battle, the sun began to set, threatening to end the combat. He raised his spear towards the sun, and it was said the sun retreated three (an ancient unit of distance) in response, allowing him to continue fighting and secure victory.
- The phrase was famously used by Vietnamese scholar-patriot Phan Bội Châu in his writings, cementing its place in Vietnamese literary tradition as a symbol of relentless, almost miraculous, effort and patriotic struggle.
Synonyms
- To perform miracles / To achieve the impossible: To accomplish something that seems beyond human capability.
- To defy the odds: To succeed despite very low probability of success.
- Herculean effort: An effort requiring tremendous strength or determination.
Related Concepts
- Heroic determination: The extreme resolve characteristic of a hero.
- Defying nature: The act of overcoming natural laws or limitations through sheer force of will.