gaze at the wind and seize the shadow

gaze at the wind and seize the shadow

As a Chinese idiom, Pinyin is w ò f ē NGB ǔ y ǐ ng. There is no basis in fact in metaphor. It's from xianshiqi.

The origin of Idioms

Du Mu of the Tang Dynasty wrote in his book "xianshiqi": "today I would like to record 150 pieces, which are compiled into one axis. I will present them to you in a sealed way, holding the wind and catching the shadow, casting wood and carving ice. I dare to ask for kindness, but I hope to engrave them."

Analysis of Idioms

Synonym: futile

Antonym: get twice the result with half the effort

Idiom usage

It is often used in figurative sentences.

Examples

Du Mu of the Tang Dynasty wrote in the book of offering poems: "holding the wind and catching shadows, casting wood and carving ice, dare to seek kindness and harmony, but hope to carve."