qióng穷chàng唱wèi渭chéng城
To lament or express one's misfortune only when impoverished or in dire straits, implying that prosperity silences such expressions of sorrow.
Era:
Modern
Frequency:
Story:
During the Tang Dynasty, Liu Yuxi, a Grand Mentor to the Crown Prince, would pass by a humble dwelling every day on his way to court.
He heard a man selling flatbreads sadly singing Wang Wei's poem 'Weicheng Song.' The poem goes: 'Morning rain in Weicheng has settled the dust, the guesthouses are green with fresh willows. I urge you to drink one more cup of wine, for west of Yangguan, there will be no old friends.'
Liu Yuxi gave him ten thousand coins to expand his business, and from then on, he never heard the man sing that song again.