Definition

1. Noun:
   • A beautiful love story; a romantic tale: "diễm sử" refers to a story or history centered around a beautiful, often idealized, romantic relationship. It implies a narrative that is touching, poetic, or idyllic.
   • A tale of amorous beauty: The term combines "diễm" (beautiful, gorgeous) and "sử" (history, chronicle), literally meaning a "history of beauty," specifically in the context of love.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Cuốn tiểu thuyết đó kể về một diễm sử thời chiến tranh. (That novel tells a beautiful love story from the war time.)
  • Họ đã cùng nhau viết nên một diễm sử của riêng mình. (Together, they wrote their own beautiful love history.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is literary and somewhat classical. It is often used in titles of songs, poems, novels, or films to evoke a sense of timeless, profound, and aesthetically pleasing romance.
  • "Diễm Sử" là tên một bài hát nổi tiếng của nhạc sĩ Trịnh Công Sơn. ("Diễm Sử" is the name of a famous song by composer Trịnh Công Sơn.)

Variants and Related Words

• Chuyện tình (n): A love story. This is a more common and general term.
• Tình sử (n): A love history; a chronicle of romantic affairs. This can imply a series of love events or a saga.
• Ái tình sử (n): A history of love; similar to "tình sử" but less common.

Synonyms

• Chuyện tình đẹp: A beautiful love story.
• Truyện tình lãng mạn: A romantic love story.

Related Idioms

• While "diễm sử" itself is not typically part of a common idiom, it belongs to a poetic register. A related classical concept is:
  • Giai nhân tài tử: (Beautiful lady, talented gentleman) - A phrase often describing the ideal couple in classical romantic tales, which could be the subject of a "diễm sử."

1. Beautiful love history