南北朝时陈太子舍人名叫徐德言，
娶了那乐昌公主为妻是美满姻缘。
陈后主这个妹妹生得美，
徐德言乐极生悲思绪乱。
他相信“自古红颜多薄命”，
最害怕好夫妻中途会拆散。
公主说：“你的担心没来由，
俺也不会把你怨。
万一是今后我们真分离，
我这儿有一面镜子人各半。
分离后若要再相会，
元宵节卖镜再团圆。”
太子点头连称好，
谨将妻言记心间。
不久后果然灾难起，
邻邦之间起征战。
夫妻分镜，各人怀里揣一半。
别时互嘱不负约，
然后相别挥泪散。
到后来，隋文帝灭陈掳后主，
公主她被掳进宰相杨素深庭院。
老杨素随文帝一起平天下，
当时权势非一般。
自从得到公主后，
十分宠爱当心肝。
可是这公主从来不高兴，
时刻惦念前夫徐德言。
到后来德言也流落到京都，
元宵节专去把灯观。
拿出了珍藏的半面镜，
高声呼喊要卖大钱。
他在市上卖破镜，
一时京城作笑谈。
这话传到宰相府，
乐昌公主又是欢喜又心酸。
立派一人带破镜，
去对徐郎那半面。
德言见镜乐无比，
随手书写诗一篇。
公主见了德言诗，
立时哭成泪人般。
杨素知道这件事，
愿把二人再成全。
亲自召来徐德言，
盛情款待设酒宴。
也命公主作一诗，
于是二人得团圆。
这成语，比喻那夫妻离散又团聚，
好比那破镜得重圆。
A Broken Mirror Joined Together
In the Southern and Northern Dynasties（420—589A。D。），Prince Chen had a follower named Xu Deyan，who took Princess Lechang as his wife and it was a marriage made in heaven。Princess Lechang，Prince Chen's younger sister was a real beauty，Xu Deyan thereby was too happy to feel at ease。He believed in the saying that misfortune favours the smart，and feared husband and wife would be torn apart。The princess said，“You are worrying about nothing。In case we'll be going different ways，here，I've got a broken mirror that we each have half of。Should we meet again，one of us would be selling it on the first-month-fifteenth Lantern Festival。”
Deyan nodded his approval，and carefully kept the promise at the back of his mind。Before long a hazard hit them head on。A war broke out between his and the neighbouring state。Husband and wife took the mirror halves one each and put them in their bosoms。On departure they took oaths not to break the promise，with tears welling up in their eyes。
In the end，Emperor Wen of Sui Dynasty eliminated the State of Chen and arrested the prince。The princess had also been caught and sent to the prime minister Yang Su's dwelling。The old prime minister had followed the Emperor to fight for the throne。He then had a striking privilege over common people，since he'd taken possession of the princess。He felt delighted and kept her as his most favourite。But the princess was far from being content。She missed her former husband day and night。
Xu Deyan was then also roaming in the capital，and went to the street to see the lanterns show at the festival。He took out his half mirror and shouted to sell it，and asked for a high price。Selling a broken mirror in the broad street turned out to be quite a laughingstock。Gossip about it reached the prime minister's house。Princess Lechang was both overjoyed and sorrowful。Immediately she sent a man there taking the other half of the mirror to join with Deyan's half and make a whole。
When he saw it，Deyan was as happy as a lark in the sky，and set his hand at once to write a poem。Having read Deyan's emotional poem，the princess cried and cried like having a bath of tears。When Yang Su was informed of this matter，he resolved to help them to reconcile。He had Xu Deyan called to his house，and gave him a very warm welcome。He asked the princess to write an answering poem，and let the two again be husband and wife。
This idiom implies a split marriage can be reunited once again，just like the broken mirror matched its other half。
