also: でいちゅうのはちす
expression, noun
a lotus in the mire; a rose among nettles; something pure amidst filth
Idiomatic expression describing a person or thing that remains pure and beautiful despite being in a corrupt or dirty environment. Often used in literary or moral contexts.
彼女は泥中の蓮のように、悪い環境の中でも清らかだった。
She remained pure like a lotus in the mire, even in a bad environment.
この作品は、泥中の蓮という言葉を思い起こさせる。
This work brings to mind the phrase 'a lotus in the mire'.
A classical Chinese-derived phrase with a similar meaning, literally 'emerging from the mud unsullied'. More formal and less common in everyday Japanese.
Derived from the classical Chinese idiom 出淤泥而不染 (chū yūní ér bù rǎn), which describes a lotus growing in muddy water yet remaining unstained. The Japanese form 泥中の蓮 is a direct adaptation, using the image of a lotus in the mud to symbolize purity in a corrupt world.