鴛鴦の衾
Reading
えんおうのふすま
English
A loving couple
Notes
The shared blanket衾 of a couple as close as ducks鴛鴦
鴛=male 鴦=female
During the Warring States Period in China, there was a retainer named Han Ping (韓憑), who had his wife stolen by King Kang of Song (宗の康王). Ping was so distraught that he committed suicide, leaving instructions to be buried in a specific location. His wife did the same, indicating in her will that she wished to be buried with her husband. However, the king purposefully buried them separately, but facing each other, so they would be so close, but never truly together. In just one night, two cherry birch trees sprouted up, one on each grave plot. Within 10 days, the branches grew outward, entangling with each other, and a pair of ducks made their nest there, forever crying in sorrow for the buried couple below.
Origin
古代
proverbsKotoKen 2