Zhònglǐxúntāqiānbǎidù, mò rán huíshǒu, nà rén què zài dēnghuǒlánshānchù.
A thousand searches in the crowd - then suddenly I turn, and there she is, where the lanterns fade.
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history
From the Southern Song poet Xin Qiji 辛弃疾 's 《青玉案·元夕》: 众里寻他千百度, 蓦然回首, 那人却在灯火阑珊处. It describes the joy of suddenly spotting one’s beloved amid the Lantern Festival crowds. Wang Guowei 王国维 later cited the line as the third and highest "stage" of great achievement in his 《人间词话》.
usage
阑珊 means "waning, growing sparse". The line is often used as a metaphor for finding an answer in an unexpected place after a long search.
