兄弟鬩牆

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Chinese

 
brother; brethren; brothers and sisters
brother; brethren; brothers and sisters; siblings
 feud, fight, quarrel wall
trad. (兄弟鬩牆) 兄弟 鬩 牆
simp. (兄弟阋墙) 兄弟 阋 墙
Literally: “brothers quarrelling inside the walls”.

Etymology

From the Classic of Poetry, poem 164 (《詩經·小雅·常棣》):

兄弟鬩于牆，外禦其務。
每有良朋，蒸也無戎。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
兄弟阋于墙，外御其务。
每有良朋，蒸也无戎。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11th – 7th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
Xiōngdì xì yú qiáng, wài yù qí wǔ.
Měi yǒu liángpéng, zhēng yě wú róng.
Brothers may quarrel inside the walls,
But they will oppose insult from without.
When friends, however good they may be,
Will not afford help.

Pronunciation

Idiom

兄弟鬩牆

  1. (figurative) internal dispute
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