天花乱坠

Pronunciation: tiān huā luàn zhuì Literal meaning: Heavenly flowers fall chaotically

Origin & Usage

The idiom 天花乱坠 (tiān huā luàn zhuì) originates from a Buddhist scripture, 《心地观经·序品偈》, translated during the Tang dynasty. It describes a scene where heavenly flowers (天花) fall chaotically (乱坠) from the sky, filling the empty space. This imagery was later used in a story about the Southern Dynasties' Liang Emperor Wu, who was deeply influenced by Buddhist teachings. A monk claimed that a sermon was so moving that it caused flowers to fall from the heavens. The emperor was captivated by this tale, illustrating how people can be swayed by eloquent but exaggerated speech. In modern usage, the idiom describes speech that is beautifully crafted yet exaggerated and unrealistic, often used to caution against being misled by persuasive but untruthful words.

Examples

English: "Her speech was so beautiful that it captivated everyone in the audience."

Chinese: 她的演讲天花乱坠，令人陶醉。