In the warring State Period (zhàn guó 战国) , there was a girl in the State of Qi called Han E (hàn é 韩娥) who sang beautifully. Once when she was passing through the State of Qi she had to sing to earn money to buy food. When she left Qi the echoes of her songs clung to the beams of the houses there for three days before people realized that she had left.
This idiom is used to describe unforgettably beaurifull singing.

传说战国时期，一位叫韩娥的女子来到齐国，因为一路饥饿，断粮已好几日了，于是在齐国临淄城西南门卖唱求食。她美妙而婉转的歌声深深地打动了听众的心弦，给人们留下了深刻的印象。三天以后，人们还听到她的歌声的余音在房梁间缭绕，人们都说韩娥之歌“余音绕梁，三日不绝”。
韩娥投宿一家旅店，因为贫困，韩娥遭到了旅店主人的侮辱，韩娥伤心透了，“曼声哀哭”而去。声音是那么悲凉，凡是听到她歌声的人都觉得好象沉浸在哀怨里。一时间，“老幼悲愁，垂泪相对，三日不食”，旅店主人只好又把她请回来唱一首欢乐愉快的歌曲。韩娥“复为曼声长歌”，众人闻之“喜跃抃舞，弗能自禁”，气氛顿时欢悦起来，把此前的悲愁全忘了。其歌声之动人，乃至于此。
因此后世就有了“余音绕梁”、“绕梁三日”的成语典故，以形容美妙的歌声和音乐的魅力。

余音绕梁 (yú yīn rào liáng)
【翻译】The tune lingers in the house.
【释义】形容歌声优美，给人留下难忘的印象。
【例句】听完他的小提琴演奏，让人觉得余音绕梁，意犹未尽。
【近义词】绕梁三日、莺舌百啭、如闻天籁
【反义词】不堪入耳

Tags: Chinese Proverbs History and Culture