刎頸之交

Figuratively, a solid friendship of no regret even if one is to be beheaded for the other, from the Biography of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru in the Records of the Grand Historian (《史記·廉頗藺相如列傳》).

既罷歸國，以相如功大，拜為上卿，位在廉頗之右。廉頗曰：「我為趙將，有攻城野戰之大功，而藺相如徒以口舌為勞，而位居我上，且相如素賤人，吾羞，不忍為之下。」宣言曰：「我見相如，必辱之。」相如聞，不肯與會。相如每朝時，常稱病，不欲與廉頗爭列。已而相如出，望見廉頗，相如引車避匿。於是舍人相與諫曰：「臣所以去親戚而事君者，徒慕君之高義也。今君與廉頗同列，廉君宣惡言而君畏匿之，恐懼殊甚，且庸人尚羞之，況於將相乎！臣等不肖，請辭去。」藺相如固止之，曰：「公之視廉將軍孰與秦王？」曰：「不若也。」相如曰：「夫以秦王之威，而相如廷叱之，辱其群臣，相如雖駑，獨畏廉將軍哉？顧吾念之，彊秦之所以不敢加兵於趙者，徒以吾兩人在也。今兩虎共鬥，其勢不俱生。吾所以為此者，以先國家之急而後私讎也。」廉頗聞之，肉袒負荊，因賓客至藺相如門謝罪。曰：「鄙賤之人，不知將軍寬之至此也。」卒相與驩，為刎頸之交。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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既罢归国，以相如功大，拜为上卿，位在廉颇之右。廉颇曰：「我为赵将，有攻城野战之大功，而蔺相如徒以口舌为劳，而位居我上，且相如素贱人，吾羞，不忍为之下。」宣言曰：「我见相如，必辱之。」相如闻，不肯与会。相如每朝时，常称病，不欲与廉颇争列。已而相如出，望见廉颇，相如引车避匿。于是舍人相与谏曰：「臣所以去亲戚而事君者，徒慕君之高义也。今君与廉颇同列，廉君宣恶言而君畏匿之，恐惧殊甚，且庸人尚羞之，况于将相乎！臣等不肖，请辞去。」蔺相如固止之，曰：「公之视廉将军孰与秦王？」曰：「不若也。」相如曰：「夫以秦王之威，而相如廷叱之，辱其群臣，相如虽驽，独畏廉将军哉？顾吾念之，强秦之所以不敢加兵于赵者，徒以吾两人在也。今两虎共斗，其势不俱生。吾所以为此者，以先国家之急而后私雠也。」廉颇闻之，肉袒负荆，因宾客至蔺相如门谢罪。曰：「鄙贱之人，不知将军宽之至此也。」卒相与欢，为刎颈之交。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

Jì bà guī guó, yǐ Xiàng rú gōng dà, bài wèi shàngqīng, wèi zài Lián Pō zhī yòu. Lián Pō yuē: “Wǒ wèi Zhàojiāng, yǒu gōngchéng yězhàn zhī dàgōng, ér Lìn Xiàngrú tú yǐ kǒushé wèi láo, ér wèi jū wǒ shàng, qiě Xiàngrú sù jiànrén, wú xiū, bù rěn wèi zhī xià.” Xuānyán yuē: “Wǒ jiàn Xiàngrú, bì rǔ zhī.” Xiàngrú wén, bù kěn yǔ huì. Xiàngrú měi cháo shí, cháng chēng bìng, bù yù yǔ Lián Pō zhēng liè. Yǐ'ér Xiàngrú chū, wàngjiàn Lián Pō, Xiàngrú yǐn chē bìnì. Yú shì shèrén xiàngyǔ jiàn yuē: “Chén suǒyǐ qù qīnqī ér shì jūn zhě, tú mù jūn zhī gāoyì yě. Jīn jūn yǔ Lián Pō tóng liè, Lián jūn xuān èyán ér jūn wèinì zhī, kǒngjù shū shèn, qiě yōngrén shàng xiū zhī, kuàng yú jiāngxiàng hū! Chén děng bùxiào, qǐng cíqù.” Lìn Xiàngrú gù zhǐzhī, yuē: “Gōng zhī shì Lián jiāngjūn shú yǔ Qínwáng?” Yuē: “Bùruò yě.” Xiàngrú yuē: “Fú yǐ Qínwáng zhī wēi, ér Xiàngrú tíngchì zhī, rǔ qí qúnchén, Xiàngrú suī nú, dú wèi Lián jiāngjūn zāi? Gù wú niàn zhī, qiáng Qín zhīsuǒyǐ bùgǎn jiā bīng yú Zhào zhě, tú yǐ wú liǎng rén zài yě. Jīn liǎnghǔ gòngdòu, qí shì bù jù shēng. Wú suǒyǐ wéi cǐ zhě, yǐ xiān guójiā zhī jí ér hòu sīchóu yě.” Lián Pō wén zhī, ròutǎn fù jīng, yīn bīnkè zhì Lìn Xiàngrú mén xièzuì. Yuē: “Bǐjiàn zhī rén, bù zhī jiāngjūn kuān zhī zhìcǐ yě.” Zú xiāngyǔ huān, wèi wěnjǐngzhījiāo. [Pinyin]

They were already over and returned to the country; because of his achievement was great, Xiangru was appointed as a high-ranking official, and his rank was higher than Lian Po. Lian Po said: "I have become a general of Zhao, have some great achievements of siege and field battle; still, Lin Xiangru is above me by just achieving a feat by the conversation, and Xiangru was originally a lowly person; I am ashamed and can't bear to be under him." He declared: "When I see Xiangru, I'll be sure to humiliate him." Xiangru heard that and then he was reluctant to meet him. Every time Xiangru went to the court, he described himself as ill, and he didn't want to fight for the rank with Lian Po. Before long, Xiangru went out and observed Lian Po, and Xiangru hid by pulling the car. At that time, his servants remonstrated him together to say: "My lord, the reason why I left from my relatives to serve you is just because I admire your respectable personality. Now you have become in the same order with Lian Po; when Lord Lian stated bad words, you hid for fear of this, and awed too much; even mediocre people would be ashamed for that, and for generals and ministers, much more so! We are dishonorable; let us take our leave." Lin Xiangru insisted that they stay, saying "In your estimation, is General Lian more considerable than the king of Qin?" They said: "No, he isn't." Xiangru said: "Even under the intimidation of the king of Qin, I scolded him in his court and humiliated his men; though I am dull, should I be afraid of General Lian? What I am keenly aware is this, that the only reason why the mighty Qin dare not threaten Zhao with war is the presence of Lian and me. We are two tigers who cannot both survive a conflict with each other. The reason why I do that [not to hold a grudge against Lian] is to put the national emergency above my personal resentment." On hearing of that, Lian Po stripped his clothes off, bore a flogging rod, and came to Lin Xiangru's home via a retainer to apologize, "This mean and lowly person didn't know that you, general, is generous to this much." Finally, they got along with each other and vowed a friendship till death.

刎頸之交

1. friends sworn to death; eternal friends; best friends who can face hardships together

• 刎頸交／刎颈交
• 刎頸至交／刎颈至交

Others:

• → Japanese: 刎頸の交わり (funkei no majiwari) (calque)

刎頸之交 • (mun'gyeongjigyo) (hangeul 문경지교)

1. Hanja form^? of 문경지교.