The Broken Mirror is Put Back Together

Shiu De-yan was an attendant of the emperor during the Southern Dynasties period. The emperor of the time paid no attention to the affairs of the state, and so Shiu De-yan feared for their kingdom's future. He aslo feared for his wife, Le-chang, who was the younger sister of the emperor, because she was very beautiful and very talented, and sure to be taken away from him if the kingdom were overthrown. So Shiu De-yan took a mirror and broke it in half, giving one half to his wife and keeping the other for himself. The two then agreed on a day on which they ever become separated.

And sure enough, not long after, their kingdom was destroyed, and Le-chang was taken away by a new court official named Yang Su. When the appointed day arrived, Shiu De-yan went out to look for his wife, but found instead an old woman with his wife's half of the mirror. As it turned out, Le-chang had been unable to come out that day, and so had asked this woman to take her half of the mirror and go in her place. When Yang Su heard this story, he was so moved that he not only allowed this couple to be reunited, but gave them many gifts as well.

And so today, when a man and woman who have been separated for along time are finally reunited, we can say that "the broken mirror has been put back together."

破鏡重圓

成語故事破鏡重圓不僅講述了一個優美的愛情故事，更反映出古人成人之美的美德。

陳朝太子捨人徐德言的妻子是後主叔寶的妹妹樂昌公主，才貌極為出色。徐德言當太子捨人的時候，正趕上陳朝衰敗，時局很亂的時期，無法保證國家和個人的安全。徐德言對妻子說：“以你的才華和容貌，如果國家滅亡了，你一定會流落到有權有勢的富豪人家，恐怕我們會永遠分離。倘若我們的緣分沒斷，還能相見，應該有一個信物。”於是徐德言折斷一面銅鏡，夫妻兩人各拿一半。他又同妻子約定說：“將來你一定要在正月十五那一天將鏡片在街上出售，如果我見到了，就會在當天去找你。”

等到陳朝滅亡了，他的妻子果然流落到越公楊素的家裡，楊素對她非常寵愛。徐德言流離失所，好不容易才來到京城。他於正月十五這天到市場上尋找，果然有一個僕人模樣的老頭出售一片一半的鏡子，而且要價非常高，人們都嘲笑他。徐德言將老人帶到自己的住處，給老頭吃飯，講述了自己的經歷。拿出自己那一半鏡子和老頭賣的那半面鏡子合在一起，並在鏡子上題了一首詩：“鏡與人俱去，鏡歸人不歸。無復嫦娥影，空留明月輝。”

樂昌公主陳氏看到題詩以後，哭哭啼啼地不肯吃飯，楊素了解情況以後也非常傷感，派人將徐德言找來，決定將妻子還給他，並送給他們許多錢物。聽說這件事的人沒有不贊嘆的。

楊素設酒宴為徐德言和陳氏餞行，並叫陳氏也作了一首詩：“令日何遷次，新官對舊官。笑啼俱不敢，方驗作人難。”然後陳氏和徐德言回到江南，一直到白頭偕老。