khôn văn tế, dại văn bia
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Clever in the eulogy, foolish on the stele — flatter the living aloud, but carve stone carefully.
Literally: wise at the funeral ode, foolish on the stone tablet
Sources & notes
Discovered via Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918; public domain, via vi.wikisource); retrieved 2026-08-01. Source: source ↗ Attested in Nam ngạn chích cẩm (Phạm Quang Sán, 1918). Definition is an original editorial synthesis, not copied from the source.
Common questions
What does “khôn văn tế, dại văn bia” mean?
Clever in the eulogy, foolish on the stele — flatter the living aloud, but carve stone carefully. Literally: wise at the funeral ode, foolish on the stone tablet
Is “khôn văn tế, dại văn bia” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.