Chinese Idiom: 破镜重圆 (Po Jing Chong Yuan)
English Translation: A broken mirror rejoined
pīn yīn: pò jìng chòng yuán
Idiom Meaning: This idiom refers to a couple who, after being separated or divorced, reunite once again.
Historical Source: Poems on Events by Meng Xing from the Tang Dynasty (唐人孟檠《本事诗 · 情感》).
Idiom Story:
During the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Wen (Yang Jian) launched military campaigns against the Southern Chen Dynasty. In anticipation of the impending doom, the sister of the Chen Emperor, along with her husband, Xu Deyan, feared they would be forced apart. To symbolize their bond and aid in their future search for one another, Xu Deyan smashed a bronze mirror, each keeping half as a token.
He instructed his wife, “If we are separated, meet me in the capital on the night of the Lantern Festival (January 15 of the lunar calendar) and sell your half of the mirror in the marketplace. I will search for you there if I am alive.”
After the fall of the Chen Dynasty, the couple indeed lost contact. The sister of the Chen Emperor was taken as a concubine by Yang Su, a prominent figure in the Sui court, while Xu Deyan endured hardships, eventually reaching the capital of Chang’an.
On the promised date, Xu Deyan searched the marketplace and found a servant trying to sell the half mirror. To his joy, the two halves fit perfectly together. Overcome with emotion, he inscribed a poem on the mirror that expressed his sorrow:
“The mirror departed with the person,
Yet the mirror returns, but the person does not.
No longer can I see the shadow of Chang’e,
Only the brilliance of the bright moon remains.”
Upon hearing Xu Deyan’s poignant poem, the Chen princess was deeply moved and shed tears, refusing to eat. Touched by his loyalty and sincerity, she decided to reunite with her husband. She summoned Xu Deyan back to her side and held a farewell banquet for them.
During the banquet, overwhelmed with emotions, she recited her own poem:
“Why must I change residence today,
The new man faces the old one;
Laughter and tears mix,
This proves how difficult life can be!”
This marked the beginning of their reunion, and the couple returned to their home in Jiangnan, living together in harmony for many years, thus embodying the spirit of “破镜重圆.”
