The Chinese characters 突 meaning is suddenly.

穴 is a hole made by removing and dividing rock or earth to provide a roof over the wild dog’s head. 突 represents the dog (犬) rushing out of its den to attack and bite an intruder. Hence the meaning suddenly or unexpectedly - without warning.

Tao Qian wrote this poem probably in the year 417 at the age of 53, after the old cottage he described in Return to Nature was burned up in a fire. Lines 5-6 of this poem are the best-known verse representative of the poet’s love of nature and free dam. The chrysanthemum, the last cold-proof flower-to bloom in autumn, is the symbol of purity in difficult Circumstances and the Southern Mountain or Mount Lu in modern Jiangxi Province, that of tranquility, longevity and eternity. Therefore, the poet’s love of chrysanthemum and mountain reveals his own character, pure and cold-proof as the one and tranquil and lasting as the other.

WHILE DRINKING
Among the haunts of men I build my cot,
There is noise of wheels and hoofs, but I hear not.
How can it leave upon my mind no trace?
Secluded heart creates secluded place.
I pick fence-side chrysanthemums at will,
And leisurely I see the southern hill.
Where mountain air is fresh both day and night,
And where I find home-going birds in flight.
What is the revelation at this view?
Words fail me even if I try to tell you.

饮酒

结庐在人境，而无车马喧。

问君何能尔，心远地自偏。

采菊东篱下，悠然见南山。

山气日夕佳，飞鸟相与还。

此中有真意，欲辩已忘言。

The Chinese characters 哭 meaning is cry; wail; weep.

This Chinese character uses two mouths (口) to express intense action of the mouth, resembling the wailing of dogs (犬); so dog with two mouths means “wail”: 哭. Two mouths may effectively express crying and howling, but certainly, “two buckets of tears,” according to the proverb, “will not heal a bruise.”

The Chinese characters 狱 meaning is prison; jail.

This ideograph places speech (讠) between two different forms of dogs (犭 and 犬). It represents a lawsuit: 狱, with the two suitors barking at each other like dogs. 狱 also means prison - for the loser. And, for the winner: “Win your lawsuit, and lose your money.”

The Chinese characters 吠 meaning is bark.

Mouth (口) plus dog (犬) equals bark: 吠. This Chinese character, therefore, shows what makes a dog bark. The ancient proverb, however, explains what makes a hundred dogs bark: “One dog barks at something, and a hundred bark at the sound.”

The Chinese characters 狗 meaning is dog.

This character for dog: 狗 fittingly combines the dog radical: 犭 (or 犬) with the phonetic: 句. 句, meaning a sentence of words, suggests barking - a distinguishing characteristic of the dog. Counseling against the thoughtless ill-treatment of the underdog, the proverb warns: “In beating a dog, first find out who the owner is.”

The Chinese characters 醉 meaning is drunk.

This ideograph combines the container for liquor: 酉 with the phonetic: 卒 , representing a soldier. As soldiers do not last long, 卒 also means: “to come to an end.” So, to drink liquor (酉) and reach the limit (卒), is to become drunk: 醉. But, suggests the proverb, “If you want a way to stop drinking, look at a drunken man when you are sober.”

The Chinese characters 酒 meaning is liquor; wine; spirit.

酉 is a pictograph of an amphora used for distilling. The radical for liquid (氵) added to it indicates the jar is filled with liquor: 酒 - wine as exhilarating and stimulating as knowledge. But liquor is intoxicating, so the proverb cautions: “Wine should be taken in small doses; knowledge in large.”

The Chinese characters 知 meaning is know.

The radical: 矢 (arrow) represents swiftness. Combined with 口 (mouth), it means knowledge, possessed by one who can give his word or opinion with the precision and speed of an arrow. Knowledge is having a mouth that is as sharp and far-reaching as an arrow. Unfortunately, according to the proverb, “Those who know much talk little; those who know little talk much.” (知者不言，言者不知)

The Chinese characters 矢 meaning is arrow.

The arrow radical, in its original form, bears a striking resemblance to an arrow with full tip and feathers. It was later modified and finally stylized: 矢. Emphasizing the difficulty of combating insidious, enemies, the saying goes: “It is easy to dodge a spear in the open, but difficult to avoid an arrow shot from hiding!’ (明枪易躲，暗箭难防)