Interpreting Commonly Misunderstood Chinese Four-Character Idioms (Chengyu)（part 2）

(2) 篳路藍縷（bì lù lán lǚ）

The expression comes from Zuo Zhuan, Duke Xuan, Year 12:

“篳路藍縷，they opened up the mountains and forests。”

And from Zuo Zhuan, Duke Zhao, Year 12:

“In former times, our ancestor King Xiong Yi dwelt in the Jing Mountains. 篳路藍縷, he settled the wilderness, traversed mountains and forests, and served the Son of Heaven.”

In The Dictionary of Chinese Idioms, it is explained as follows: 篳路 means a firewood cart; 路 (road) is taken as interchangeable with 輅 (carriage); 藍(blue)縷 means ragged clothing. However, there is no explanation as to why the worn-out clothing must specifically be blue. As a result, when this idiom is used, readers are often left with only a partial understanding of its meaning, as in:

• Records of the Grand Historian: House of Chu by Sima Qian: “He settled in the Jing Mountains，篳路藍縷”。

• Sun Yat-sen, The International Development of China (Part One): “篳路藍縷，the undertaking was begun。”

• Qian Mu, An Outline of Chinese Studies: “而篳路藍縷，the gains obtained were already meager。”

  
  

In fact, 篳路 does not refer to a firewood cart. This is because 篳 and 畢 were originally the same character, standing in the relationship of ancient and modern forms. The oracle-bone form and its bronze inscription form depicts a person holding a long pole and spreading a net to catch birds.

oracle bone script of 畢

bronze inscription of 畢

Among the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, there is the Bi Constellation (畢宿), so named because its shape resembles a bird-catching net. In The Book of Songs, Minor Odes, Mandarin Ducks, it is written: “鴛鴦于飛，畢之羅之 (As the mandarin ducks fly, they are netted and caught),” which carries this meaning. Later, the bamboo radical was added to 畢 to form 篳, primarily referring to a bamboo fence used to keep small animals from entering a courtyard. Meanwhile, 畢 itself came to be used mainly in the sense of “to finish” or “to end,” equivalent to the English words end or over. At this point, the ancient and modern forms became differentiated. Therefore, 篳 is not a piece of equipment on a cart, but rather a barrier surrounding a courtyard.

路 simply means a mountain path. Scholars, fond of association, connected it by homophony to 輅 (a carriage), but the two actually have no relationship. Therefore, 篳路 refers to a narrow path overgrown with thorns and brambles, difficult to traverse as though obstructed by a fence.

藍縷 is a mistaken writing of 襤褸. The oracle-bone script and bronze inscription of 監 are shown below.

oracle bone script of 監

bronze inscription of 監

Its original meaning was that a shaman could see images of the future reflected in a basin of water and use them for divination. From this developed the extended meanings of supervision, eunuch, Director of the Secretariat, surveillance, and so forth. 襤, pronounced lán, refers to clothing so full of holes that the skin underneath can be seen, just as a person can be observed or monitored. This indicates that the garment is severely torn.

褸, pronounced lǚ, derives from 婁, a character indicating that a woman has given birth and her abdomen is now empty, primarily meaning that the womb inside is empty. Thus:

• Adding the wood radical produces 樓 (building), since a building must be hollow inside for people to live in it.

• Adding the bamboo radical produces 簍 (basket), which must be hollow in order to catch fish.

• Adding the bone radical produces 髏 (skeleton), since the bones of the dead are necessarily hollow.

  
  

Therefore, the central meaning of 褸 is that the outer garment is torn and there is no longer any inner garment beneath it, leaving the flesh directly exposed. In such a condition, a person is in danger: if scratched again, the skin will bleed.

The meaning of 襤 is that others can see one’s flesh, which constitutes a breach of propriety; the meaning of 褸 is hollowness or lack of protection, such that scratches may cause bleeding, which constitutes danger. The two characters therefore emphasize different aspects.

Putting all four characters together, the meaning is: a mountain path overgrown with thorns and brambles, through which travelers must pass, their clothes being torn full of holes and exposing their flesh. They clear away the thorns and forge ahead despite an extremely harsh working environment. This context perfectly matches the situation of King Xiong Yi of Chu, who, after being enfeoffed as a viscount (a low noble rank), went to the wilderness of Jingchu to open up and develop new territory.

To be continued.