鴦

Paired with 鴛 (원) to form 鴛鴦 (원앙) — a pair of mandarin ducks, symbolizing conjugal harmony and enduring affection.

On its own, 鴦 refers to the female mandarin duck, while 鴛 denotes the male.

Together they form one of the most enduring symbols of love and fidelity in East Asian art and literature.

A phono-semantic compound composed of:

鳥 (새 조) — semantic component, indicating the meaning “bird.”

央 (가운데 앙) — phonetic component, giving the sound ang and suggesting centrality or balance.

Thus, 鴦 means literally “the bird (鳥) of paired balance (央),” fitting its association with the mandarin duck and its mate.

Appears primarily in the binome 鴛鴦 (원앙) — “mandarin ducks,” and by extension, “lovers.”

Common compounds and derived phrases:

鴛鴦 (원앙) — a pair of mandarin ducks; affectionate couple

鴛鴦夢 (원앙몽) — lovers’ dream; love dream

鴛鴦浴 (원앙욕) — lovers’ bath (lit. “mandarin-duck bath”)

鴛鴦枕 (원앙침) — double pillow for a married couple

In classical literature and art, 鴛鴦 (원앙) symbolize marital harmony and eternal love — always depicted as inseparable pairs.

They appear embroidered on wedding robes, carved on mirrors, or painted on folding screens as auspicious motifs.

In Confucian and Buddhist symbolism alike, the pair represents the unity of yin and yang — the perfect balance between male and female, heaven and earth, affection and virtue.

「鴛鴦不獨宿，終歲常相依。」 《宋·蘇軾〈鴛鴦〉詩》

“The mandarin ducks never sleep alone; all year long they depend on each other” (Song Dynasty poet Su Shi's poem "Mandarin Ducks").

Thus, 鴦 — though but one half of the pair — embodies the principle of devotion, harmony, and shared destiny.

「鴛鴦于飛，畢之羅之。」 《古詩十九首》

“The mandarin ducks fly in pairs — they are netted together.” (Nineteen Ancient Poems)

Used metaphorically for lovers bound by destiny.

「終是天涯地角有窮時，只有相思無盡處。千秋萬歲後，誰與爲樂？鴛鴦瓦冷霜華重，翡翠衾寒誰與共？」《長恨歌 白居易》

“After a thousand autumns, after ten thousand ages, who will share his joy?

The mandarin-duck tiles are heavy with frost; the emerald quilt lies cold —

With whom shall he share it now?” (Cháng Hèn Gē, “The Song of Everlasting Sorrow”, Bai Juyi, 772 – 846 CE)

The poem recounts the tragic love story between Emperor Xuanzong (唐玄宗) and his beloved concubine Yang Guifei (楊貴妃).

It begins with their passionate love at the imperial palace in Chang’an, follows their separation and Yang Guifei’s death during the An Lushan Rebellion (安史之亂), and ends with the emperor’s lifelong grief and remembrance.

Here, the “mandarin-duck tiles” (鴛鴦瓦) refer to roof tiles carved or painted with paired ducks — a metaphor for conjugal unity.

But in this context, the imagery turns tragic:

The tiles are cold and frosted — love has become memory.

The emerald quilt (翡翠衾) — symbolizing shared warmth and luxury — now lies unused.

Together, the two lines become an elegy of solitude:

“The house remains, but the warmth is gone; love’s symbols are now relics of grief.”

In later Korean literature, 鴛鴦 came to symbolize faithful conjugal love.

정철 (Jeong Cheol), 《사미인곡》(思美人曲):

「가던 새 본 듯이, 날아간 원앙새야,

그 누가 두어 몸을 갈라 두었느냐.

임을 여의고 홀로 잠 못 드노라.」

“Like the mandarin ducks torn apart in flight,

Who has sundered your loving pair?

I too lie sleepless, apart from my lord.”

(“Song of a Beautiful Person” by 정철, Jeong Cheol, 1536 – 1593).

Here, Jeong Cheol (정철) — a Confucian scholar-poet — uses the image of mandarin ducks (鴛鴦) as a symbol not of fleeting desire, but of faithful conjugal union.

In his poem, a loyal wife (or devoted subject, in allegorical reading) laments separation from her husband.

The 鴛鴦 image expresses both earthly affection and moral fidelity (정절) — an emblem of enduring companionship sanctioned by righteousness — two beings fated to live and rest together, embodying the Confucian ideal of harmony between husband and wife.

Here’s a second Korean example where 鴛鴦 (원앙, mandarin ducks) appears not as a tragic or courtly symbol, but as an emblem of lifelong marital harmony in Joseon-era poetry, wedding art, and moral inscriptions.

「원앙금침 나란히 베고,

한밤 꿈길에 님과 웃노라.

새벽 닭 울면 눈물 젖은 이불자리.」

“Laying side by side upon the mandarin-duck brocade pillow,

I dream and smile with my beloved through the night;

But when the morning cock crows, tears wet the empty bed.”

“Wonang pillow” (鴛鴦錦枕) motif in Joseon love poetry and wedding customs, anonymous Joseon sijo (시조), late 17th–18th century.

Here the 鴛鴦錦枕 (wonang geumchim, “mandarin-duck brocade pillow”) is not just bedding — it is a metaphor for faithful marriage, implying two heads resting together, joined in affection and moral unity.

The imagery originates from Tang poetry (e.g., 鴛鴦瓦, 鴛鴦衾) but was transformed in Korea into a domestic and ethical emblem - a shared life of love, trust, and constancy between husband and wife.

In this sijo, the poet expresses tenderness and longing within the framework of lawful spousal affection — not passion outside marriage.

The 鴛鴦 pillow thus stands for 정 (affectionate devotion) and 의 (righteous loyalty), core virtues in Confucian family life.

Throughout Joseon literature and painting, 鴛鴦 (원앙, mandarin ducks) came to embody the ideal of 부부금실, the perfect harmony and affection between husband and wife.

They appeared as auspicious motifs—embroidered on wedding robes and bedding, carved into bridal chests (혼례반상기) and mirrors, and painted alongside lotus flowers, symbols of purity, and reeds, symbols of constancy.

Proverbs and art alike spoke of the “원앙금침(鴛鴦錦枕)”, the “mandarin-duck brocade pillow,” representing the shared pillow of an affectionate couple.

During the Joseon dynasty, 鴛鴦 motifs flourished under names such as 鴛鴦圖 (원앙도)—paintings of duck pairs gliding over lotus ponds; 鴛鴦枕 (원앙침)—embroidered pillows gifted to newlyweds; and 鴛鴦錦被 (원앙금피)—brocade quilts adorned with the same imagery.

Each design symbolized harmony between yin and yang (음양조화), fidelity and eternal companionship, and prosperity and lineage continuation.

Traditional 혼례문 (wedding inscriptions) and 예서 (calligraphic blessings) often included wishes such as:

「願爾如鴛鴦之比翼，白首同心。」

“May you be like the mandarin ducks that fly wing to wing, united in hearts until white-haired old age.”

This phrase, frequently inscribed on marriage certificates, bridal screens, and embroidered dowry chests, reflects how 鴛鴦 evolved from a poetic metaphor of romantic affection into a deeply ethical and visual emblem of conjugal virtue and lifelong unity within Korean culture.