乐昌之镜 — “Refers to the separation of a husband and wife”

Q: What is the Chinese definition of 乐昌之镜?

比喻夫妻分离。同“乐昌分镜”。

乐昌之镜 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “refers to the separation of a husband and wife”. Often implying a difficult parting with a hope for eventual reunion. Literally, “Mirror of Lecháng”.

Frequency

乐昌之镜 Pronunciation and Pinyin

乐昌之镜 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
乐	lè	5	happy, music, enjoy
昌	chāng	8	flourish, proper speech
之	zhī	4	possessive or connective particle
镜	jìng	16	mirror, lens, or glasses

Example Sentence with 乐昌之镜

动荡年代，许多家庭都曾经历乐昌之镜的悲剧，亲人天各一方

During turbulent times, many families experienced the tragedy of the "mirror of Lecháng," with loved ones scattered far and wide.

Origin and Story of 乐昌之镜

During the final years of the Chen Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties, Xu Deyan, the imperial son-in-law, and his wife, Princess Lecháng, feared they would not be able to stay together amidst the impending collapse of the dynasty. They broke a bronze mirror into two halves, each taking one piece. They agreed to meet on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, where Xu Deyan would sell his half-mirror in the street to find her.

After the Chen Dynasty fell, the princess was taken into the household of Yang Su. On the appointed day, Xu Deyan, after much hardship, arrived in the capital and, true to their promise, found his wife who was selling her half of the broken mirror, leading to their tearful reunion.