諺語 · a single proverb
分久必合，合久必分
What does 分久必合，合久必分 (fēn jiǔ bì hé hé jiǔ bì fēn) mean?
分久必合，合久必分 (fēn jiǔ bì hé hé jiǔ bì fēn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "long divided must unite; long united must divide." In use it means: History moves in cycles of unification and fragmentation; no political state lasts forever in either direction. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dragon.
Literally: "long divided must unite; long united must divide."
The reading
The empire holds together until the center weakens, then fragments into pieces that slowly find each other again. This is not a story about politics. It is a story about gravity and entropy taking turns. The cycle does not have a villain. It has a rhythm.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Romance of the Three Kingdoms 三國演義, opening line
Sits beside
冬至陽生春又來
dōng zhì yáng shēng chūn yòu lái
At the darkest moment of winter, yang energy is reborn and spring begins its return.
夜長夢多
yè cháng mèng duō
Delay leads to complications.
太公釣魚，願者上鉤
tài gōng diào yú yuàn zhě shàng gōu
The best way to attract people is not through trickery but through genuine worth.
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Timing & Fortune's Turning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 分久必合，合久必分 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 分久必合，合久必分 (fēn jiǔ bì hé hé jiǔ bì fēn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Romance of the Three Kingdoms 三國演義, opening line. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 分久必合，合久必分?
In Mandarin it is fēn jiǔ bì hé hé jiǔ bì fēn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 分久必合，合久必分 aloud in Mandarin.