人生若只如初见，何事秋风悲画扇。These two lines of poetry are from Magnolia Flower·Imitating Ancient Juejue Ci to Send a Friend by Nalan Xingde of the Qing Dynasty."人生若只如初见" (Rénshēng ruò zhǐ rú chūjiàn) means it would be great if life were always as beautiful as when people first met, when both sides were filled with initial tenderness and purity."何事秋风悲画扇" (Héshì qiūfēng bēi huàshàn) alludes to the story of Ban Jieyu in the Han Dynasty. Ban Jieyu was once a favorite concubine of Emperor Cheng of Han, but later she was neglected. She confided her sorrows to a round fan. Since round fans are discarded and no longer used when the autumn wind blows, they have become a symbol of losing favor. Here, it means: why does the initial beauty get abandoned like the autumn fan, making people sigh in vain?The two lines of poetry form a sharp contrast. They not only express the nostalgia for the beauty and purity of the first meeting but also carry regret and melancholy over the changes in feelings and the ease of separation between people. Therefore, they are often used to lament the helplessness of relationships declining from prosperity.
“曾经沧海难为水，除去巫山不是云”Having seen the vast ocean, no other waters can impress me;Having witnessed the clouds of Wushan, all other clouds seem commonplace.These two lines are from "Five Poems of Departing Thoughts ·其四" by Yuan Zhen, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, and are千古传诵的名句 (famous lines that have been passed down through the ages).Literally, the lines mean: After experiencing the extremely vast and deep Cang Hai (the Bohai Sea, often used metaphorically for something vast), the waters elsewhere can hardly attract one; having seen the colorful clouds of Wu Shan (Wushan Mountain, known for its spectacular clouds in Chinese literature and mythology), the clouds in other places seem dull and unremarkable.The verses were originally written by Yuan Zhen to mourn his deceased wife Wei Cong. Using the waters of the vast ocean and the clouds of Wushan as metaphors, they express his unique deep affection for his wife, as well as his loyalty that after losing her, no other things in the world can move his heart. Later, these two lines are often used to describe feelings for someone or something reaching an extreme—after experiencing the best, one can no longer take a fancy to others. They are mostly used to express dedication and perseverance in love.
Chinese proverb:“好马不吃回头草”The saying "A good horse will not turn back to graze on the grass it has left behind" means: It is a metaphor that a person, once making a decision (such as ending a relationship, cutting off contact, etc.), will not turn back to make the same choice or take the same path again.
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