柏舟之誓 — “Refers to a widow's unwavering fidelity and refusal to remarry”

柏舟之誓 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to a widow's unwavering fidelity and refusal to remarry”. Symbolizing deep loyalty and chastity. Literally, “Vow of the Cypress Boat”.

Frequency

柏舟之誓 Pronunciation and Pinyin

柏舟之誓 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
柏	bǎi	9	Cypress tree
舟	zhōu	6	boat
之	zhī	4	possessive or connective particle
誓	shì	14	vow or swear an oath

Example Sentence with 柏舟之誓

她丈夫不幸去世后，她立下柏舟之誓，独自承担起抚养子女的重任，展现了坚贞不渝的品格。

After her husband's unfortunate passing, she made a vow of unwavering fidelity, taking on the heavy responsibility of raising her children alone, demonstrating her steadfast character.

Origin and Story of 柏舟之誓

During the Spring and Autumn period, Prince Gong Bo of Wey and his wife, Gong Jiang, shared a deeply loving relationship, having sworn an eternal oath of devotion to each other.

When Prince Gong Bo unexpectedly passed away, his parents intended for Gong Jiang to remarry. However, Gong Jiang staunchly refused.

To express her unwavering loyalty and commitment to her late husband, she composed the poem 'Bai Zhou' (The Cypress Boat), which eventually convinced her parents to respect her decision and abandon the idea of her remarrying.