靡靡之音

Chinese

		slow; tender; lewd slow; tender; lewd; decadent	's; him/her/it; this	sound; noise; news
trad. (靡靡之音)		靡靡	之	音
simp. #(靡靡之音)		靡靡	之	音
alternative forms		糜糜之音

Etymology

From Han Feizi, Chapter 10 (《韓非子·十過》):

未終，師曠撫止之，曰：「此亡國之聲，不可遂也。」平公曰：「此道奚出？」師曠曰：「此師延之所作，與紂為靡靡之樂也，及武王伐紂，師延東走，至於濮水而自投，故聞此聲者必於濮水之上。先聞此聲者其國必削，不可遂。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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未终，师旷抚止之，曰：「此亡国之声，不可遂也。」平公曰：「此道奚出？」师旷曰：「此师延之所作，与纣为靡靡之乐也，及武王伐纣，师延东走，至于濮水而自投，故闻此声者必于濮水之上。先闻此声者其国必削，不可遂。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Han Feizi, circa 2^nd century BCE, translated based on W. K. Liao's version

Wèi zhōng, shī Kuàng fǔ zhǐ zhī, yuē: “Cǐ wángguó zhī shēng, bùkě suì yě.” Píng gōng yuē: “Cǐ dào xī chū?” Shī Kuàng yuē: “Cǐ shī Yán zhī suǒ zuò, yǔ Zhòu wéi mǐmǐ zhī yuè yě, jí Wǔ wáng fá Zhòu, shī Yán dōng zǒu, zhì yú Pú shuǐ ér zì tóu, gù wén cǐ shēng zhě bì yú Pú shuǐ zhī shàng. Xiān wén cǐ shēng zhě qí guó bì xuē, bùkě suì.” [Pinyin]

Before the performance was finished, Musician Kuang (師曠) held down his hands and stopped the music, saying, "This is a state-ruining piece of music, which should not be performed to its end." "Where does this music come from? Do you know?" asked Duke Ping. "This was composed by Musician Yen," replied Musician Kuang, "and presented to King Zhou. It was a piece of frivolous music. When King Wu attacked Zhou, Musician Yen ran eastward as far as the Pu Water, where he drowned himself. Therefore, this music has been heard only by the Pu Water. At any rate, whoever hears this music performed, is bound to see his native soil dismembered. Its performance, therefore, should not be completed."

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): mǐmǐzhīyīn

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄧˇ ㄇㄧˇ ㄓ ㄧㄣ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): mei⁵ mei⁵ zi¹ jam¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: mǐmǐzhīyīn [Phonetic: mímǐzhīyīn]
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄧˇ ㄇㄧˇ ㄓ ㄧㄣ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: mǐmǐjhihyin
    • Wade–Giles: mi³-mi³-chih¹-yin¹
    • Yale: mǐ-mǐ-jr̄-yīn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: miimiijyin
    • Palladius: мимичжиинь (mimičžiinʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mi²¹⁴⁻³⁵ mi²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ in⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: mei⁵ mei⁵ zi¹ jam¹
    • Yale: méih méih jī yām
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mei⁵ mei⁵ dzi¹ jam¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: méi⁵ méi⁵ ji¹ yem¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mei̯¹³ mei̯¹³ t͡siː⁵⁵ jɐm⁵⁵/

Idiom

靡靡之音

1. decadent or obscene music; cheap, low-class tunes; popular music

Synonyms

• 桑間之音／桑间之音 (sāngjiānzhīyīn)
• 濮上之音 (púshàngzhīyīn)
• 靡靡之樂／靡靡之乐 (mǐmǐzhīyuè)