Proverb / Kotowaza
白虹日を貫く
A natural omen signaling coming war, disaster, or grave danger to a ruler.
A white rainbow pierces the sun
Quick Answer
A natural omen signaling coming war, disaster, or grave danger to a ruler.
- Literal Image
- A white rainbow pierces the sun
- How to Use It
- Used to describe an ominous atmosphere or signs that suggest a major, destructive, event or political upheaval is about to occur.
Meaning
This expression describes a celestial phenomenon regarded as a sign of impending major incidents, military conflict, or misfortune. It specifically refers to the white rainbow appearing to cut through the sun, traditionally interpreted as a warning that a subordinate may harm their superior or that a significant turning point is approaching.
Literal Image
A white rainbow pierces the sun
How to Use It
Used to describe an ominous atmosphere or signs that suggest a major, destructive, event or political upheaval is about to occur.
Tone
This is a literary and serious expression can be used in historical, political, or economic contexts to describe grave forebodings.
Examples
経済指標の異常な動きはまさに白虹日を貫くで、市場の崩壊を予感させた。
The abnormal movement of economic indicators was truly a white rainbow piercing the sun, giving a premonition of market collapse.
政界の不穏な動きを見るにつけ、白虹日を貫くという言葉が思い起こされる。
Looking at the unsettling movements in the political world, the phrase 'a white rainbow pierces the sun' comes to mind.
白虹日を貫くという故事のごとく、その事件は時代の転換点となった。
Just like the legend of the white rainbow piercing the sun, that incident became a turning point for the era.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
While the grammar is straightforward, the vocabulary (hakko, tsuranuku) and the specific historical imagery of celestial omens make it highly literary and advanced.
白虹
はっこう / hakko
white rainbow
日
ひ / hi
sun
貫く
つらぬく / tsuranuku
to pierce; to penetrate
Usage Profile
Usage note: This is a very specific historical idiom; using it for minor daily problems would be an overstatement.
Misread Risk
Do not confuse this with a literal description of weather; it is strictly used as a metaphor for an omen of crisis.
Search As
Related Proverbs
Origin
This expression originates from the 'Zou Yang Zhuan' (鄒陽伝) in the Chinese classic 'Shiji' (Records of the Grand Historian). It is recorded that when the assassin Jing Ke set out to assassinate the King of Qin (who later became Qin Shi Huang), a white rainbow appeared and pierced the sun. This celestial anomaly was considered a terrible omen that a minister would harm their monarch, and it came to mean a precursor to major incidents, wars, or assassinations.
Index
Topics, Situations, and Tags
Topics
Situations
Tags
Source Note
Where did this entry get its data from? The reference links are listed below. To understand how to read this section, see Data Sources.