"The moment a hare springs up, a falcon swoops down." Literally, it means that as soon as a hare leaps up, a falcon (a bird of prey) dives to strike. It describes extremely nimble and swift movement, and also serves as a metaphor for painting, writing, or calligraphy executed with vigorous, fluent brushwork in one continuous burst, without the slightest hesitation. This idiom originates from Su Shi's "Record of the Winding Bamboo Valley Painting by Wen Yuke": "He wielded his brush and let it go straight ahead, chasing what he saw, like a hare springing up and a falcon swooping down—with the slightest slackening, it would be gone." Su Shi used this as a metaphor for the swiftness of capturing inspiration when painting bamboo, emphasizing that in artistic creation inspiration is fleeting and must be seized quickly. It is mostly used to describe someone agile and quick to react, or a literary or artistic work with smooth, brisk brushwork and lively rhythm. Its emotional tone is positive, carrying a sense of admiration and appreciation. In terms of cultural background, it embodies the pursuit of "momentum" and "speed" in traditional Chinese aesthetics, and also reflects the wisdom of the ancients in distilling philosophical insight from natural phenomena.
📝 Example
1. This martial arts champion's movements in the ring were as swift as a rabbit starting and a falcon swooping, leaving the opponent unable to defend effectively. (Describing agile and rapid movements)
2. His calligraphy flows like drifting clouds and running water, with strokes as vigorous and smooth as a rabbit starting and a falcon swooping, completed in one breath, leaving people in awe. (Describing vigorous and fluent brushwork)