天てん地ち玄げん黄こう

expression

heaven and earth; the universe

A yojijukugo originating from the opening of the Thousand Character Classic (千字文). Literally 'heaven is black and earth is yellow', it poetically refers to the cosmos or the natural order. Used in literary or classical contexts.

• 「天てん地ち玄げん黄こう」は千せん字じ文もんの最さい初しょの句くとして知しられている。