gǔpén
to mourn a wife's death
鼓盆 gǔpén
- to mourn a wife's death
- Literally meaning to drum on a bowl; used as an idiom to express grief for a lost wife. The phrase originates from the Daoist philosopher 庄子 zhuāngzǐ, who was found singing and drumming on a basin after his wife died, viewing death as a natural transition.