花好月圓

Chinese

		flower; blossom; to spend flower; blossom; to spend; fancy pattern	good; well; be fond of	moon; month	circle; round; circular circle; round; circular; spherical; (of the moon) full; unit of Chinese currency (Yuan); tactful; to justify
trad. (花好月圓)		花	好	月	圓
simp. (花好月圆)		花	好	月	圆

Etymology

From a line in Magnolia Flowers (木蘭花), an ode composed by Song Dynasty poet Zhang Xian (張先):

人意共憐花月滿。花好月圓人又散。歡情去逐遠雲空，往事過如幽夢斷。
草樹爭春紅影亂。一唱雞聲千萬怨。任教遲日更添長，能得幾時抬眼看。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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人意共怜花月满。花好月圆人又散。欢情去逐远云空，往事过如幽梦断。
草树争春红影乱。一唱鸡声千万怨。任教迟日更添长，能得几时抬眼看。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

Rényì gòng lián huā yuè mǎn. Huāhǎoyuèyuán rén yòu sàn. Huānqíng qù zhú yuǎn yún kōng, wǎngshì guò rú yōumèng duàn.
Cǎo shù zhēngchūn hóng yǐng luàn. Yī chàng jī shēng qiānwàn yuàn. Rèn jiào chírì gèng tiān cháng, néng dé jǐshí táiyǎn kàn. [Pinyin]

Whenever the flowers are in bloom and the moon is full, sad thoughts enter our minds. After the flowers are no longer in bloom and the moon is no longer full, the people begin to disperse. The festive atmosphere departs for the distant cloudy skies, and we are cut off from the past as if from a hazy dream that we cannot recall. The vibrant spring colors of the grass and trees succumb to the chaotic red shadows of fall. As they begin to chirp, the chickens' songs become melancholy. We wish we could make the long days of spring longer. When we will be able to look up and once again gaze at the full moon?

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): huāhǎoyuèyuán

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄨㄚ ㄏㄠˇ ㄩㄝˋ ㄩㄢˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): faa¹ hou² jyut⁶ jyun⁴
• Southern Min (Teochew, Peng'im): huê¹ ho² ghuêh⁸ in⁵

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: huāhǎoyuèyuán
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄨㄚ ㄏㄠˇ ㄩㄝˋ ㄩㄢˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: huahǎoyuèyuán
    • Wade–Giles: hua¹-hao³-yüeh⁴-yüan²
    • Yale: hwā-hǎu-ywè-ywán
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: huahaoyuehyuan
    • Palladius: хуахаоюэюань (xuaxaojuejuanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xu̯ä⁵⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɥɛ⁵¹ ɥɛn³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: faa¹ hou² jyut⁶ jyun⁴
    • Yale: fā hóu yuht yùhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: faa¹ hou² jyt⁹ jyn⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: fa¹ hou² yud⁶ yun⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /faː⁵⁵ hou̯³⁵ jyːt̚² jyːn²¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: huê¹ ho² ghuêh⁸ in⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: hue hó gue̍h îⁿ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hue³³⁻²³ ho⁵²⁻³⁵ ɡueʔ⁴⁻² ĩ⁵⁵/

Idiom

花好月圓

1. blooming flowers and full moon; perfect conjugal bliss