<p>“大势一去<strong>水东流</strong>” seemingly means &quot;大势一去 就如長江水东流&quot; (when defeat becomes inevitable, it is like the <strong>water of Yangtze River flow East</strong>, --It can't be turned back)</p>
<p>Using &quot;River water run East&quot; metaphorically for the meaning of  &quot;irreversible situation&quot; is very common in Chinese poetry, the following are some examples:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>《<a href="http://www.shicimingju.com/chaxun/list/3710.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">念奴娇 赤壁怀古</a>》宋·苏轼：&quot;<strong>大江东去</strong>  .....&quot; (The water of Yangtze River flow East and won't return...)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>~</p>
<blockquote>
<p>《<a href="https://6point7billion.wordpress.com/2012/06/20/%E6%A5%8A%E6%85%8E-%E3%80%8C%E6%BB%BE%E6%BB%BE%E9%95%B7%E6%B1%9F%E6%9D%B1%E9%80%9D%E6%B0%B4%E3%80%8D-%E8%AA%BF%E5%AF%84%E3%80%8A%E8%87%A8%E6%B1%9F%E4%BB%99%E3%80%8B%E8%A9%9E/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">臨江仙</a>》楊慎:</p>
<p>&quot;<strong>滚滚长江东逝水</strong>....&quot; (The water of the rolling Yangtze River disappear to the East...)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>~</p>
<blockquote>
<p>《<a href="https://fanti.dugushici.com/ancient_proses/70229" rel="nofollow noreferrer">虞美人</a>》 南唐后主李煜:</p>
<p>&quot;....<strong>一江春水向東流</strong>&quot; (....The water of a river flow East in Spring)</p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><p>“事其所以观其所由， came from 论语 <em>“视其所以，观其所由，察其所安，人焉廋哉！&quot;</em></p>
</li>
<li><p>大势一去  is referring to the idiom <a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%A4%A7%E5%8A%BF%E5%B7%B2%E5%8E%BB" rel="nofollow noreferrer">大势已去</a> <em>宋·朱熹《朱子谏类》卷五十一：“.... 莫是大势已去。”</em></p>
</li>
<li><p>The phrase 水东流 appeared in the first line of <a href="https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%BB%A1%E6%B1%9F%E7%BA%A2%C2%B7%E6%B1%89%E6%B0%B4%E4%B8%9C%E6%B5%81" rel="nofollow noreferrer">满江红</a>·&quot;<em>汉水东流....</em>&quot;</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>The '戏'(opera) that 古老夫子 '唱'(sung) was a mix and match from different sources -- an original creation from the author of 《普提山下》陈果卿</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-13T14:33:11.353Z
I was actually asking which 戏 it is from....
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-13T12:00:17.553Z
2019-06-13T17:36:37.027Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>I came across this line from <a href="http://www.lsllw.cn/Article/Article.asp?nid=1264&amp;page=2" rel="nofollow noreferrer">第一章 6 载昆 夫人 古老夫子</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>“你们，莫冒火，听我来唱戏，”古老夫子真的唱起来。“事其所以观其所由，大势一去水东流。夫人呀，莫生气，请饮酒！” </p>
</blockquote>

<p>I'm curious where the line:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>事其所以观其所由，大势一去水东流</p>
</blockquote>

<p>originates from.</p>

<p>事其所以观其所由 should probably be: 视其所以 观其所由. I can't find any information for “大势一去水东流” apart from the article linked above.</p>

<p>Any idea where it originates from?</p>

<writing>
What is the line “大势一去水东流” from?
# What is the line “大势一去水东流” from?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-06-13)

I came across this line from [第一章 6 载昆 夫人 古老夫子](http://www.lsllw.cn/Article/Article.asp?nid=1264&page=2):

> “你们，莫冒火，听我来唱戏，”古老夫子真的唱起来。“事其所以观其所由，大势一去水东流。夫人呀，莫生气，请饮酒！”

I'm curious where the line:

> 事其所以观其所由，大势一去水东流

originates from.

事其所以观其所由 should probably be: 视其所以 观其所由. I can't find any information for “大势一去水东流” apart from the article linked above.

Any idea where it originates from?

**Tags:** writing


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-06-13. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

“大势一去**水东流**” seemingly means "大势一去 就如長江水东流" (when defeat becomes inevitable, it is like the **water of Yangtze River flow East**, --It can't be turned back)

Using "River water run East" metaphorically for the meaning of "irreversible situation" is very common in Chinese poetry, the following are some examples:

> 《[念奴娇 赤壁怀古](http://www.shicimingju.com/chaxun/list/3710.html)》宋·苏轼："**大江东去** ....." (The water of Yangtze River flow East and won't return...)

~

> 《[臨江仙](https://6point7billion.wordpress.com/2012/06/20/%E6%A5%8A%E6%85%8E-%E3%80%8C%E6%BB%BE%E6%BB%BE%E9%95%B7%E6%B1%9F%E6%9D%B1%E9%80%9D%E6%B0%B4%E3%80%8D-%E8%AA%BF%E5%AF%84%E3%80%8A%E8%87%A8%E6%B1%9F%E4%BB%99%E3%80%8B%E8%A9%9E/)》楊慎:
>
> "**滚滚长江东逝水**...." (The water of the rolling Yangtze River disappear to the East...)

~

> 《[虞美人](https://fanti.dugushici.com/ancient_proses/70229)》 南唐后主李煜:
>
> "....**一江春水向東流**" (....The water of a river flow East in Spring)

* “事其所以观其所由， came from 论语 *“视其所以，观其所由，察其所安，人焉廋哉！"*
* 大势一去 is referring to the idiom [大势已去](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%A4%A7%E5%8A%BF%E5%B7%B2%E5%8E%BB) *宋·朱熹《朱子谏类》卷五十一：“.... 莫是大势已去。”*
* The phrase 水东流 appeared in the first line of [满江红](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%BB%A1%E6%B1%9F%E7%BA%A2%C2%B7%E6%B1%89%E6%B0%B4%E4%B8%9C%E6%B5%81)·"*汉水东流....*"

The '戏'(opera) that 古老夫子 '唱'(sung) was a mix and match from different sources -- an original creation from the author of 《普提山下》陈果卿

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I was actually asking which 戏 it is from....  

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