金戈铁马

Pronunciation: jīn gē tiě mǎ Literal meaning: Metal halberds, armoured horses

Origin & Usage

This descends from Xin Qiji of the Southern Song, recalling a warlord's campaigns in a poem written from a northern lookout: 金戈铁马，气吞万里如虎 — metal (金) halberds (戈) and armoured (铁) horses (马), a spirit that swallowed ten thousand li like a tiger. Xin Qiji wrote it as a man who had fought in the north and was being kept from returning, so the grandeur carries loss inside it. Modern usage evokes martial splendour and the scale of past campaigns.

Examples

English: "The historical film vividly portrayed the grandeur and might of ancient military campaigns"

Chinese: 这部历史电影生动地描绘了古代军事征战的宏伟和威力