It is a metaphor for a person who has the ambition to serve his country to practice very hard.
Idiom Pronunciation:
闻鸡起舞
wén jī qǐ wǔ
Origin:
唐·房玄龄等《晋书·祖逖传》：与刘琨俱为司州主簿，情好绸缪，共被同寝，中夜闻鸡鸣，蹴琨觉曰：“此非恶声也！”因起舞。
Story:
Zu Ti of the Jin Dynasty was an open-minded man with great ambitions, but he was a naughty boy who did not like to read when he was a child. As a young man, he realized his lack of knowledge and felt that he could not serve his country without reading. He read extensively and studied history carefully, from which he drew a wealth of knowledge, and his learning improved greatly and was gradually praised by people. People who came in contact with him said that Zu Ti was a talented person who could assist the emperor in ruling the country. When Zu Ti was 24 years old, he was recommended to be an official, but he did not agree and still studied hard and tirelessly.
Later, Zu Ti and his childhood friend, Liu Kun, became the chief official of Sizhou. The two of them shared the same interests and went to the state office in the daytime and slept under the same quilt at night. They also shared the same ideal: to build a successful career, revive the state of Jin and become the pillar of the country.
Once in the middle of the night, Zu Ti heard a rooster crowing in his sleep. He kicked Liu Kun awake and said to him, “Other people think it is bad luck to hear a rooster crowing in the middle of the night, but I don’t think so. Liu Kun readily agreed. From then on, the “rooster dance” became a compulsory lesson for them every day. Every day after the rooster crows, the two of them get up to practice sword, sword light flying, sword sound clanging. Spring and winter, cold and summer, never stop.
After a long period of hard study and training, they finally became all-rounders who could write well and lead troops to win battles. Zu Ti was appointed as the General of West China, fulfilling his wish to serve the country; Liu Kun became the governor and was in charge of the military of Ping, Ji and You states, giving full play to his literary and martial skills.
In June 311 A.D., Xiongnu sacked Luoyang and Emperor Huai of Jin was captured. Zu Ti asked for a northern expedition to recover the Central Plains. When the boat reached the mid-stream, he raised his oar and knocked on the side of the boat and swore, “If I cannot recover the Central Plains, I will never cross the river and go back to the south!” The courageous and resourceful Zu Ti soon recaptured all the territory south of the Yellow River. However, his action aroused the suspicion of the ruling group of Jin Dynasty and exerted pressure on him. In 321 A.D., at the age of 56, Zu Ti died of hatred with his unfulfilled wish.
Similar Idioms:
- 孜孜不倦
- 废寝忘食
