Chinese idioms from the Dao De Jing
金玉满堂 (jīn yù mǎn táng)
Word for word from chapter 9
金玉满堂 (jīn yù mǎn táng), “gold and jade fill the hall”, comes from chapter 9 of the Dao De Jing, where such wealth cannot be kept; today it means great riches and is a common good wish.
Character by character
| 金 | jīn | gold |
|---|---|---|
| 玉 | yù | jade |
| 满 | mǎn | to fill |
| 堂 | táng | hall |
| 金玉满堂 | Great wealth; today also a wish for prosperity. | |
Where it comes from
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金玉满堂，
Treasure-filled halls,
How the meaning moved
In chapter 9 the phrase is a warning. The chapter opens with things pushed too far: filling a vessel to the brim “is inferior to stopping in time”, and a blade sharpened and sharpened “cannot be preserved forever.” Then: “Treasure-filled halls, cannot be defended.” The Chinese says it plainly: when gold and jade fill the hall, no one can keep them. It goes on: “Wealth and pride, lead to self-loss and bad fortune”, and closes with the remedy: “Accomplish and retire, the Way of heaven.”
The phrase did not keep the warning. In the Shishuo Xinyu, a fifth-century collection of anecdotes, Wang Meng praises his friend Liu Tan by saying that he “can be called a hall full of gold and jade”, a hall rich in gifts. Today 金玉满堂 means great wealth and is above all a good wish: it is written on New Year couplets and paired with other blessings. The chapter would add the second half of the line: no one can keep it.
Using it today
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过年时，奶奶在门上贴了一副写着“金玉满堂”的春联。
guò nián shí, nǎi nai zài mén shàng tiē le yī fù xiě zhe "jīn yù mǎn táng" de chūn lián.
At New Year, Grandma put up a couplet on the door that read 金玉满堂, “gold and jade fill the hall”.
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就算金玉满堂，一家人不和睦也谈不上幸福。
jiù suàn jīn yù mǎn táng, yī jiā rén bù hé mù yě tán bù shàng xìng fú.
Even with a house full of riches, a family that doesn't get along can hardly be called happy.