嘆為觀止

Chinese

to sigh
because of; for; to
because of; for; to; act as; take...to be; to be; to do; to serve as; to become
 
 to be good beyond comparison; to be the cream of the crop
trad. (嘆為觀止/歎為觀止/嘆爲觀止/歎爲觀止) 嘆/歎 為/爲 觀止
simp. (叹为观止) 叹 为 观止

Etymology

From a story when Jizha, the prince of Wu paid a visit to the state of Lu, as recorded in The Commentaries of Zuo, 29th year of Duke Xiang, 544 B.C.E. (《襄公二十九年》):

吳公子札來聘，請觀於周樂 […] 見舞《韶箾》者，曰：“德至矣哉，大矣！如天之無不幬也，如地之無不載也。雖甚盛德，其蔑以加於此矣，觀止矣。若有他樂，吾不敢請已。” [Classical Chinese, trad.]
吴公子札来聘，请观于周乐 […] 见舞《韶箾》者，曰：“德至矣哉，大矣！如天之无不帱也，如地之无不载也。虽甚盛德，其蔑以加于此矣，观止矣。若有他乐，吾不敢请已。” [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4th century BCE
Wú gōngzǐ Zhá lái pìn, qǐng guān yú Zhōu yuè […] jiàn wǔ “Sháoxiāo” zhě, yuē: “Dé zhì yǐ zāi, dà yǐ! Rú tiān zhī wú bù chóu yě, rú dì zhī wú bù zǎi yě. Suī shèn shèng dé, qí miè yǐ jiā yú cǐ yǐ, guān zhǐ yǐ. Ruò yǒu tā yuè, wú bù gǎn qǐng yǐ.” [Pinyin]
Jizha, the prince of Wu, asked to watch a performance of Zhou music [...] Upon seeing the dancers performing Shaoxiao, he said, "The virtue here is perfect! So great is it that, like heaven, it leaves nothing uncovered, and like earth, it leaves nothing unsustained. Nothing can possibly surpass this, for it has reached its utmost perfection. I need watch no further. Should there be other songs or dances, I dare not ask to watch them."

Pronunciation

Idiom

嘆為觀止

  1. to gasp in amazement; to acclaim as the peak of perfection
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