出淤泥而不染

lit. to grow out of the mud unsullied (idiom) / fig. to be principled and incorruptible

to go out / to come out / to occur / to produce / to go beyond / to rise / to put forth / to happen / (used after a verb to indicate an outward direction or a positive result) / classifier for dramas, plays, operas etc

variant of 出[chu1] (classifier for plays or chapters of classical novels)

silt / river sludge / to silt up / choked with silt / variant of 瘀[yu1]

silt / sludge / ooze

mud / clay / paste / pulp

restrained

and / as well as / and so / but (not) / yet (not) / (indicates causal relation) / (indicates change of state) / (indicates contrast)

no; not so / (bound form) not; un-

to dye / to catch (a disease) / to acquire (bad habits etc) / to contaminate / to add color washes to a painting