春风得意

Origin and story

The words occur in Meng Jiao's Tang poem Deng Ke Hou (登科後), written in celebration of passing the civil-service examination. The speaker contrasts earlier discouragement with present freedom and delight. In the spring breeze his horse seems to move swiftly, and he imagines taking in all the flowers of Chang'an in a single day.

The exuberant scene is poetic expression, not an itinerary requiring that every flower actually be visited. The phrase originally evokes the joy of examination success; it later expands to satisfaction when hopes in a career or personal life are fulfilled. The spring breeze supplies the atmosphere of that triumph.