noun
fleeting nature of riches and honor
A yojijukugo derived from a Chinese story about a dream of prosperity that ends when the millet is cooked, symbolizing the transience of worldly success.
黄粱一炊の夢という言葉は、人生の栄華のはかなさを表している。
The phrase 'a dream of yellow millet cooking' expresses the fleeting nature of life's glories.
Also refers to the fleeting nature of worldly success, from the same Chinese story; 黄粱一炊 emphasizes the brevity of the dream (the time it takes to cook millet).
From the Chinese story 'The Dream of Yellow Millet' (黄粱夢), where a man dreams a lifetime of glory in the time it takes to cook a pot of millet. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the phrase is conventionally associated with this parable.