thượng hưởng
Definition
- Verb (archaic, formal):
- To come and enjoy the offerings: A sacramental formula used in classical texts, particularly in ritual or ceremonial contexts, to invoke the presence of spirits or deities to partake in sacrificial offerings.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Cầu mong tổ tiên thượng hưởng. (May the ancestors come and enjoy the offerings.)
- Trong nghi lễ, thầy cúng đọc: "Kính mời thần linh thượng hưởng." (In the ritual, the shaman recited: "Respectfully invite the spirits to come and enjoy the offerings.")
Advanced Usage
- This term is almost exclusively found in formal, religious, or literary contexts, especially those describing traditional Vietnamese worship practices. It is a fixed, reverential phrase.
Variants and Related Words
- Hưởng (v): to enjoy, to receive (benefits, offerings).
- Hưởng lộc (v): to enjoy good fortune or sacrificial food.
- Thụ hưởng (v): to enjoy, to benefit from (a more modern, general term).
Synonyms
- To partake (of): to take a share, especially of food or offerings.
- To receive (offerings): to accept something given, especially in a ritual.
Related Idioms
- Thượng hưởng hạ tả: A classical ritual phrase meaning "[May the spirits] enjoy above and bestow blessings below." It encapsulates the idea of deities receiving offerings and then granting favors or protection to the worshippers.
- Lễ cúng kết thúc với lời cầu "thượng hưởng hạ tả". (The offering ceremony concluded with the prayer "may [you] enjoy above and bestow blessings below.")