Chinese Idioms: 覆水難收

It's December, and the year is coming to an end. No matter what was accomplished this year, the past is set in stone and cannot be changed. Today, we're going to examine idioms that describe things that can't be taken back.

覆水難收

There are many variations on the origin of this idiom, but they are largely similar in content.

Therefore, I chose the story of the 漢 Dynasty official 朱買臣, which is found in 《金玉奴棒打薄情郎》from Volume 27 of 《喻世明言》 (Stories to Enlighten the World).

First, let's get acquainted with《喻世明言》. This is a collection of short stories written by 馮夢龍 during the 明 dynasty. It was first published in 1620. If you are interested, you can access the electronic archive via the link in the description.

The chapter 《金玉奴棒打薄情郎》contains two main stories: one about a wife abandoning her husband, and another about a husband abandoning his wife. The idiom "覆水難收" is associated with one of these stories.

覆水 Spilled Water

難收 It's too hard to retrieve and basically impossible.

This idiom centers on the life of a renowned official from the 漢 dynasty named 朱買臣. Before he achieved success, 朱買臣 and his wife lived in poverty. 

To survive, he cut firewood in the mountains and sold it in the marketplace. Despite his hardships, he was a scholar who was inseparable from his books. Even when he was carrying a heavy load of firewood, he held a book and recited and chanted as he walked. The local people were accustomed to the sound of his reading, and knowing he was a scholar, they often bought his firewood to support him. However, there were always people who mocked others for fun.

One day, while fetching water, his wife saw the children making fun of 朱買臣. Deeply ashamed, she confronted him. "If you want to study, stop selling firewood. If you want to sell firewood, stop reading! You're not crazy, yet you act this way and are laughed at by children. I'm utterly mortified!"

朱買臣 replied calmly, "I sell firewood to escape poverty, and I study to gain wealth and rank. They do not interfere with each other; let them laugh." His wife scoffed, "Since ancient times, who has ever heard of a woodcutter becoming an official? You're talking nonsense!"

朱買臣 insisted that his time would come. "Someone calculated my birth chart and said that I am destined to rise at the age of fifty. You must be patient." His wife was unmoved, saying that she would surely starve if she waited another seven years. She was determined to leave him.

朱買臣 continued, "You have endured for so long, yet you are heartless enough to leave me just before I acquire my fortune. If you abandon me now, you will surely regret it later!" But she persisted. Seeing her absolute resolve, he sighed and let her go. He wrote a poem on the wall expressing his sadness, yet a lack of bitterness.

「嫁犬逐犬，嫁雞逐雞。 妻自棄我，我不棄妻。」

((Marry a dog, follow a dog; marry a chicken, follow a chicken. It's my wife who abandoned me, not me abandoning her.)

When 朱買臣 turned fifty, the emperor summoned talented individuals. Recommended by an acquaintance, he was appointed Governor of 會稽.

When he arrived to take his post, local officials organized workers to repair the roads. Among the laborers was 朱買臣's ex-wife's current husband, and his ex-wife, disheveled and barefoot, followed him to bring him food. She recognized the new governor as her ex-husband. Similarly, 朱買臣 spotted his ex-wife and had her and her current husband summoned and escorted in a carriage behind his.

At the official residence, the ex-wife was overcome with shame. She bowed and apologized. Confessing her regret for being short-sighted, He laughed and pointed to her current husband, saying that he was clearly no better than the former 朱買臣. 

She begged him to take her back, even as a maid or concubine. 朱買臣 ordered a bucket of water to be brought and spilled onto the stone steps. He told her, "We might be reconciled if you can collect the spilled water and return it to the bucket. Remembering the bond we shared when we were married in our youth, I will give you and your husband a small plot of land in the backyard to farm."

As she left the official residence, passersby pointed and said, "That's the former wife of the new governor!" Overwhelmed by deep shame and humiliation. She went to the garden and drowned herself in a nearby river.

Therefore, the idiom "覆水難收" is used to describe the idea that divorced couples can't reconcile, or you can't unring a bell.

Similar Idiom: 木已成舟

木 log 

已成  = 已經成為 has already become

舟 = boat

The ancient boat was originally made by hollowing out the center of a single large log. During the initial stages of crafting, if one regretted the decision, the log could be repurposed. However, once the wood was completely hollowed out and the boat was fully constructed, it would be too late to change one's mind.

Therefore, we used the idiom "木已成舟" show that the outcome of an event or situation is final and cannot be changed.

There is also a common saying: "生米煮成熟飯" (literally: Raw rice has been cooked into done rice). Naturally, this cooking process is irreversible, just as bread cannot turn back into flour. Both expressions are used to describe situations where what has happened cannot be changed, or a decision that has been made cannot be retracted.

How To Use /(in a funny way)

• 話一出口，就覆水難收，怎能不慎言？
  Once words are spoken, they are like water poured out and cannot be retrieved; how can one not be careful with their speech?

• 既然我們已經把所有資金都投入新專案裡，木已成舟，只能全力以赴了。
  Since we have already invested all our capital into the new project, the die is cast; we can only go all out.

• 她已經結婚，現在孩子都要生了，生米都煮成熟飯啦！你後悔也沒有用了！
  She's already married and about to have a baby—what's done is done! Your regret won't change anything now.
  

I hope you found this useful! To master these words, make sure to check out the video above for native audio examples. Happy learning!