旌旗蔽日

Chinese

banner; flag; soldiers to block out light from the sun
trad. (旌旗蔽日) 旌旗 蔽日
simp. #(旌旗蔽日) 旌旗 蔽日
Literally: “banners blocking out the sun”.

Etymology

c. 340–278 BCE, 屈原 (Qu Yuan), the Nine Odes（《楚辭•九歌·國殤》）

旌蔽日兮敵若雲，矢交墜兮士爭先。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
旌蔽日兮敌若云，矢交坠兮士争先。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: translated by Arthur Waley as "Battle"
Jīng bìrì xī dí ruò yún, shǐ jiāozhuì xī shì zhēngxiān. [Pinyin]
Standards obscure the sun: the foe roll up like clouds.
Arrows fall thick: the warriors press forward.

Pronunciation

Idiom

旌旗蔽日

  1. Describing a vast and mighty army.
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