花開堪折直須折

See also: 花开堪折直须折

Chinese

	flower; blossom; to spend flower; blossom; to spend; fancy pattern	open; operate (vehicle); start	endure	tenth (in price); to break; to fold tenth (in price); to break; to fold; to turn; broken (as of rope, stick)	straight; vertical; frank straight; vertical; frank; directly; straightly; upright	necessary; must; need	tenth (in price); to break; to fold tenth (in price); to break; to fold; to turn; broken (as of rope, stick)
trad. (花開堪折直須折)	花	開	堪	折	直	須	折
simp. (花开堪折直须折)	花	开	堪	折	直	须	折
Literally: “If a flower is blooming, and you can pluck it, go ahead and pluck it.”

Etymology

From the poem “The Golden Dress” (《金縷衣》):

勸君莫惜金縷衣，勸君惜取少年時。花開堪折直須折，莫待無花空折枝。 [Classical Chinese, trad.][▼ expand/hide]

劝君莫惜金缕衣，劝君惜取少年时。花开堪折直须折，莫待无花空折枝。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Tang dynasty, author unknown, likely Du Qiuniang (杜秋娘), “The Golden Dress” (《金縷衣》)
Translation from 300 Tang Poems, A New Translation (edited by Xu Yuan-zhong, Loh Bei-yei and Wu Juntao, →ISBN)

Quàn jūn mò xī jīnlǚyī, quàn jūn xī qǔ shàonián shí. Huā kāi kān zhé zhí xū zhé, mò dài wú huā kōng zhé zhī. [Pinyin]

Love not your golden dress, I pray,
More than your youthful golden hours!
Gather sweet flowers while you may,
And not the twig of flowers!

This is also the etymology for 莫待無花空折枝／莫待无花空折枝 (mò dài wú huā kōng zhé zhī).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): huā kāi kān zhé zhí xū zhé

(Zhuyin): ㄏㄨㄚㄎㄞㄎㄢㄓㄜˊ ㄓˊ ㄒㄩㄓㄜˊ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Pinyin: huā kāi kān zhé zhí xū zhé
  - Zhuyin: ㄏㄨㄚㄎㄞㄎㄢㄓㄜˊ ㄓˊ ㄒㄩㄓㄜˊ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: hua kai kan jer jy shiu jer
  - IPA ^(key): /xu̯ä⁵⁵ kʰaɪ̯⁵⁵ kʰän⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩³⁵ ɕy⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ³⁵/

Proverb

花開堪折直須折

Seize the day; carpe diem.
- 這誰也不能怪，只能怪自己，輕易不肯愛上，愛了又不肯輕易放下，雖說花開堪折直須折，莫待無花空折枝，但是享受著愛情之花的時候，即使折了，又怎樣？不還是一樣結不出婚姻之果嗎。 [MSC, trad.]
  这谁也不能怪，只能怪自己，轻易不肯爱上，爱了又不肯轻易放下，虽说花开堪折直须折，莫待无花空折枝，但是享受着爱情之花的时候，即使折了，又怎样？不还是一样结不出婚姻之果吗。 [MSC, simp.]
  From: 2005, 安妮玫瑰 (Anne Rose), 翡翠护身符 (Excerpt from "The Jadeite Amulet")
  Zhè shuí yě bùnéng guài, zhǐ néng guài zìjǐ, qīngyì bùkěn àishàng, ài le yòu bùkěn qīngyì fàngxià, suī shuō huā kāi kān zhé zhí xū zhé, mò dài wú huā kōng zhé zhī, dànshì xiǎngshòu zhe àiqíng zhī huā de shíhòu, jíshǐ zhé le, yòu zěnyàng? Bù háishì yīyàng jié bù chū hūnyīn zhī guǒ ma. [Pinyin]
  No one is to blame but me for this. I was so casual and unwilling to commit to love. Then, when I did fall in love, I was unwilling to casually let it go. People always say things like carpe diem and gather ye rosebuds while ye may. But, when it comes to enjoying the rosebuds of love, even if you gather them, then what? Isn't the result the same, that we can never be married?

Synonyms

莫待無花空折枝／莫待无花空折枝 (mò dài wú huā kōng zhé zhī)

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