To give charcoal to someone to keep warm on a snowy day, metaphorically speaking, to give material or spiritual help to someone in times of difficulty or distress.
Idiom Pronunciation:
雪中送炭
xuě zhōng sòng tàn
Origin book:
《大雪送炭与芥隐》：“不是雪中须送炭，聊装风景要诗来。”
Origin Story:
Song Taizong, the younger brother of Song Taizu, had fought with Song Taizu when he was young and knew that the kingdom was not easy to come by. Therefore, he especially loved the common people.
In the winter of the fourth year of Chunhua, water dripped into ice in Kaifeng city, and the ice hanging from the eaves was more than one foot long. In the cold winter, under the sunlight which was not enough to give any warmth, it was like a hanging knife, which made people shiver when they looked at it. Song Taizong was inside the palace, wearing a dragon robe, roasting a charcoal fire, but still felt the cold air. At this time, Song Taizong remembered the winter of Qiande two years, brother Song Taizu to the court, wearing a mink coat, wearing a leather hat full armor, all the ministers are shrinking hands can not win the cold to stand on the temporary carpet in the Hall of Lectures, on the sermon to speak shivering, cold tongue knotted scene.
So, he felt even colder, so he ordered people to bring wine, by wine to drive away the cold. Before he finished his glass of wine, he suddenly thought of the underprivileged: “I live in the palace, wearing a dragon robe made of fox skin, roasting a charcoal fire and drinking wine, but I still feel cold, those poor peasants who are short of food and clothing, and they have no charcoal fire to roast, I do not know how they will freeze. I must think of some ways to help them solve this practical problem.”
Thinking of this, he immediately summoned the governor of Kaifeng and said to him, “Now it is cold, we who have food, clothing and fire feel cold, and those who are short of food and clothing and have no fire to bake, they must be even more unbearable. Now go at once to console them for me and help them to solve this urgent problem quickly.” The content of this emperor’s decree was to give bonuses to all the high-living people in the capital, and to reward those who were over 100 years old with golden belts. Another reward was given to the widows, widowers, and the poor in the capital in the amount of 1,000 coins and rice and charcoal.
As soon as he received the decree, the governor of Kaifeng led all his attendants to prepare clothes, money, grain and charcoal and delivered them to the people from door to door. Many poor people were seen carrying charcoal to and fro. Song Taizong was the first to send charcoal in the snow, which really touched many people. The story of “sending charcoal in the snow” went viral, and Song Taizong was praised for his “sending charcoal in the snow”.
Similar Idioms:
- 雨中送伞
- 急人之困
