have talent but no opportunity to use it
The Chinese idiom w é nzh ā ngz ē NGM ì ng is used to describe the situation of talented people. It comes from Du Fu's the end of the day with Li Bai.
The origin of Idioms
Du Fu's poem "the end of heaven cherishes Li Bai" in Tang Dynasty: "the article is full of detestation, and the charm is pleasant."
Idiom usage
Subject predicate; as object; with derogatory meaning. When he saw that, he was filled with indignation. He didn't blame himself for the wrong rhyme. Instead, he scolded the Chief Secretary for injustice and sighed at himself. The 54th chapter of Li Baojia's Officialdom
Chinese PinYin : wén zhāng zèng mìng
have talent but no opportunity to use it
Small talk and great friendship. wēi yán dà yì
reading by the light of fireflies. náng yíng zhào shū
a swallow nesting on a canopy. yàn cháo mù shàng
cast beans on grounds which are transformed by magic into soldiers. sǎ dòu chéng bīng