柳暗花明

Pronunciation: liǔ àn huā míng Literal meaning: Dark willows bright flowers

Origin & Usage

This idiom comes from a line in Tang Dynasty poet Lu Zhaolin's work, describing a moment where a traveler, surrounded by dark willows (柳暗), suddenly discovers a bright clearing filled with flowers (花明). The imagery draws from classical Chinese garden design, where winding paths deliberately obscured views to create moments of surprise and revelation. During the Song Dynasty, it evolved beyond its literal meaning to represent hope emerging from difficult circumstances. The contrast between darkness and light, obstruction and clarity, resonates particularly in Chinese philosophical thought about life's cyclical nature. Modern usage applies to any situation where unexpected solutions or opportunities emerge just when circumstances seem most challenging.

When to Use

Situation: After months of setbacks, they finally had their breakthrough

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