| 吹箫乞食 |
chuī xiāo qǐ shí |
to beg while playing the xiao 箫 (mouth organ) / cf Wu Zixu 伍子胥, destitute refugee from Chu 楚, busked in Wu town c. 520 BC, then became a powerful politician |
| 吹 |
chuī |
to blow / to play a wind instrument / to blast / to puff / to boast / to brag / to end in failure / to fall through |
| 吹箫 |
chuī xiāo |
to play the xiao 箫 (mouth organ) / to beg while playing pipes; cf politician Wu Zixu 伍子胥, c. 520 BC destitute refugee in Wu town, 吴市吹箫 / to busk / virtuoso piper wins a beauty, cf 玉人吹箫 / (slang) fellatio / blowjob |
| 箫 |
xiāo |
xiao, a Chinese musical instrument of ancient times, similar to panpipes |
| 乞 |
qǐ |
to beg |
| 乞食 |
qǐ shí |
to beg for food |
| 食 |
shí |
to eat / food / animal feed / eclipse |
| 食 |
sì |
to feed (a person or animal) |