vãn cảnh

Người xưa thường than thở về cảnh vãn cảnh của đời người.

Definition

1. Noun (Literary/Archaic):
   • The decline of life; old age; the later stage of life: This term poetically refers to the period when life is waning, characterized by the weakening of vitality and the approach of old age. It describes the scenery or view of one's declining years.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông cụ an nhiên đón nhận vãn cảnh. (The old man peacefully welcomes the decline of life.)
  • Thơ ông thường nhuốm màu u hoài của vãn cảnh. (His poetry is often tinged with the melancholy hue of life's twilight.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily found in classical Vietnamese poetry and literary texts. It is used to evoke a reflective, often melancholic or resigned, philosophical perspective on aging and the final chapter of life.

Variants and Related Words

• Vãn niên (n): The late years; one's later years.
  • Sự bình an trong vãn niên là điều quý giá. (Peace in one's later years is precious.)

Synonyms

• Twilight years: The final period of life.
• Decline of life: The period when life's vigor diminishes.
• Old age: The later part of life.
• Senescence: The condition or process of deterioration with age.

Related Idioms

• While no common idioms directly use "vãn cảnh", the concept is related to themes in classical literature about the sunset of life, often expressed through imagery of fading light, autumn, or the end of a journey.