亡國之音

Chinese

		to perish; perished state	's; him/her/it; this	sound; noise; news
trad. (亡國之音)		亡國	之	音
simp. (亡国之音)		亡国	之	音

Etymology

From the Book of Rites, Book 19 (《禮記·樂記》):

是故治世之音安以樂，其政和。亂世之音怨以怒，其政乖。亡國之音哀以思，其民困。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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是故治世之音安以乐，其政和。乱世之音怨以怒，其政乖。亡国之音哀以思，其民困。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Shìgù zhìshì zhī yīn ān yǐ lè, qí zhèng hé. Luànshì zhī yīn yuàn yǐ nù, qí zhèng guāi. Wángguó zhī yīn āi yǐ sī, qí mín kùn. [Pinyin]

Hence, the airs of an age of good order indicate composure and enjoyment. The airs of an age of disorder indicate dissatisfaction and anger, and its government is perversely bad. The airs of a state going to ruin are expressive of sorrow and (troubled) thought.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wángguó zhī yīn

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄤˊ ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄓ ㄧㄣ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): mong⁴ gwok³ zi¹ jam¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wángguó zhī yīn
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄤˊ ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄓ ㄧㄣ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wángguó jhih yin
    • Wade–Giles: wang²-kuo² chih¹ yin¹
    • Yale: wáng-gwó jr̄ yīn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wanggwo jy in
    • Palladius: ванго чжи инь (vango čži inʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɑŋ³⁵ ku̯ɔ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ in⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: mong⁴ gwok³ zi¹ jam¹
    • Yale: mòhng gwok jī yām
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mong⁴ gwok⁸ dzi¹ jam¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: mong⁴ guog³ ji¹ yem¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɔːŋ²¹ kʷɔːk̚³ t͡siː⁵⁵ jɐm⁵⁵/

Idiom

亡國之音

1. degenerate or decadent music