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Oath of the Peach Garden Wikipedia

The Oath of the Peach Garden (義重桃園 or 桃園三節義) was an oath by which the three fighters Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, and Guan Yu became sworn brothers in a ceremony amid peach blossom trees. This historical act bound the three most crucial men of the future Shu-Han Kingdom of China and is often alluded to as a true symbol of fraternal loyalty.

The oath, as it appears in Moss Roberts' translation of Three Kingdoms was this:

"We three, though of separate ancestry, join in brotherhood here, join in brotherhood here, combining strength and purpose, to relive the present crisis. We will perform our duty to the Emperor and protect the common folk of the land. We dare not hope to be together always but hereby vow to die the selfsame day. Let shining heaven above and the fruitful land below bear witness to our resolve. May heaven and man scourge whoever fails this vow."

However, the section dealing with "dying on the selfsame day" is considered the most vital part of this oath, and in many translations the rest is dropped. This section best represents the ideal of true fraternal loyalty.

Category:Oaths

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Last Modified:   2005-04-13