Three Kingdoms Quotes

“Success is not worth rejoicing over, failure is not worth grieving over.”
― Luo Guanzhong, Three Kingdoms

“The hound and hare were both so wearied that the peasant got them all.”
― Luo Guanzhong, Three Kingdoms

“You may return and tell Sun Quan to wash his neck: the executioner is coming.”
― Luo Guanzhong, Three Kingdoms

“He is a perfect genius, god and devil combined, the greatest marvel of the age.”
― Luo Guanzhong, Romance of the Three Kingdoms

“From the days of old, those who walk in the way have replaced those who deviate therefrom; those who lack virtue have fallen before those who possess it. Can one escape fate?”
― Luo Guanzhong, Three Kingdoms

“Victory and defeat are but ordinary events in a soldier's career, and why should you give up?”
― Luo Guanzhong, Three Kingdoms

“Better to wrong the world than have it wrong me!”
― Luo Guanzhong, The Romance of the Three Kingdoms

“The world under heaven, after a long period of division, tends to unite; after a long period of union, tends to divide.”
― Luo Guanzhong, Romance of the Three Kingdoms

“The roiling, restless fog is like chaos before a storm, swirling streaks resembling wintry clouds. Serpents lurking there can spread its pestilence, and evil spirits can havoc wreak, sending pain and woe to the world of men, and the storms of wind and sand that plague the border wastes. Common souls meeting it fall dead. Great men observe it and despair. Are we returning to the primal state that preceded form itself — to undivided Heaven and earth?”
― Luo Guanzhong, Three Kingdoms

“So ended the division of land into three kingdoms, which were reunited into one empire under the rule of Sima Yan of the Jin Dinasty. This is what is meant by "Unity succeeds division and division follows unity. One is bound to be replaced by the other after a long span of time. This is the way of things in the world”
― Luo Guanzhong, Three Kingdoms

“The arrow hit Xiahou Dun full in the left eye. He shrieked, and putting up his head, pulled out the arrow and with it the eye. “Essence of my father, blood of my mother, I cannot throw this away!” cried Xiahou Dun, and he put the eye into his mouth and swallowed it.”
― Luo Guanzhong, The Romance of Three Kingdoms

“话说天下大势，分久必合，合久必分”
― Luo Guanzhong, 三国演义(全三册)

“Solving this issue is as easy as turning over one's hand!”
― Luo Guanzhong, Three Kingdoms

“When all dreams wane, same are loss and gain”
― Luo Guanzhong, Three Kingdoms

“That you cannot distinguish between the able and the incompetent shows that your eyes are corrupt. Your failure to chant the Odes and the Documents shows that your mouth is corrupt. Your rejection of loyal advice shows that your ears are corrupt. Your ignorance of past and present shows that your whole being is corrupt. Your conflicts with the lords of the realm show that your stomach is corrupt. Your dream of usurpation shows that your mind is corrupt. To make a renowned scholar like me serve as drum master is a poor imitation of the tricks of such villains of old as Yang Huo who slighted Confucius, or Zang Cang who tried to ruin Mencius. Do you think you can hold men in such contempt and still become the leader of the lords of the realm?”
― Luo Guanzhong, Three Kingdoms

“Suddenly there appeared a general, with a small following, who cried out, “Cai Mao and Zhang Yun are two traitors. The princely Liu Bei is a most upright man and has come here to preserve his people. Why do you repulse him?” All looked at this man. He was of middle height, with a face dark brown as a ripe date. He was from Yiyang and named Wei Yan.”
― Luo Guanzhong, The Romance of Three Kingdoms

“云：掩目而捕燕雀，是自欺也，微”
― Luo Guanzhong, 三国演义 (古典名著普及文库)

“话说天下大势，分久必合，合久必分。周末七国分争，并入于秦。及秦灭之后，楚、汉分争，又并入于汉。汉朝自高祖斩白蛇而起义，一统天下，后来光武中兴，传至献帝，遂分为三国。 推其致乱之由，殆始于桓、灵二帝。桓帝禁锢善类，崇信宦官。及桓帝崩，灵帝即位，大将军窦武、太傅陈蕃共相辅佐。时有宦官曹节等弄权，窦武、陈蕃谋诛之，机事不密，反为所害，中涓自此愈横。”
― Luo Guanzhong, 三国演义 (古典名著普及文库)

“玄德曰：“屈身守分，以待天时，不可与命争也。”吕”
― Luo Guanzhong, 三国演义 (古典名著普及文库)

“大喜，令”
― Luo Guanzhong, 三国演义 (古典名著普及文库)

“胸怀韬略，腹隐机谋。”
― Luo Guanzhong, 三国演义 (古典名著普及文库)

“孔明曰：“为将而不通天文，不识地利，不知奇门，不晓阴阳，不看阵图，不明兵势，是庸才也。亮于三日前已算定今日有大雾，因此敢任三日之限。公瑾教我十日完办，工匠料物，都不应手，将这一件风流罪过，明白要杀我。我命系于天，公瑾焉能害我哉！”鲁”
― Luo Guanzhong, 三国演义 (古典名著普及文库)

“让，呼为“阿父”。朝政日非，以致天下人心思乱，盗贼蜂起。 时巨鹿郡有兄弟三人，一名张角，一名张宝，一名张梁。那张角本是个不第秀才，因入山采药，遇一老人，碧眼童颜，手执藜杖，唤角至一洞中，以天书三卷授之，曰：“此名《太平要术》，汝得之，当代天宣化，普救世人；若萌异心，必获恶报。”角拜问姓名。老人曰：“吾乃南华老仙也。”言讫，化阵清风而去。角得此书，晓夜攻习，能呼风唤雨，”
― Luo Guanzhong, 三国演义 (古典名著普及文库)

“秋七月，有虹现于玉堂；五原山岸，尽皆崩裂。种种不祥，非止一端。”
― Luo Guanzhong, 三国演义 (古典名著普及文库)

“宠之以位，位极则残；顺之以恩，恩竭则慢。所以致弊，实由于此。吾今威之以法，法行则知恩；限之以爵，爵加则知荣。恩荣并济，上下有节。为治之道，于斯著矣”
― Luo Guanzhong, 三国演义 (古典名著普及文库)

“Just introduce a woman, conspiracies succeed; Of soldiers, or their weapons, there really is no need.”
― Luo Guanzhong, Three Kingdoms

“You are able enough to rule the world, but wicked enough to disturb it.”
― Luo Guanzhong, Romance of the Three Kingdoms

“Cao Cao was still laughing and talking when they all heard a raven cawing as it flew southward. "Why does the raven cry in the night?" Cao asked. Those around him replied, "It supposes the brilliance of the moon to be the dawn. That is why it has left its tree and cries." Cao laughed again. Already drunk, he set his spear in the prow of the boat and offered wine to the river.”
― Guanzhong Luo, Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Complete and Unabridged

“What will befall us if you follow the counsel of cowards now, at the very moment we must rely on you—as if you were the great Mount Tai itself—to preserve the house of Sun?”
― Guanzhong Luo, Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Complete and Unabridged

“The phoenix winging on the air
Will choose no tree
Except the wu.
The scholar keeping to his lair
Will have no lord
Except the true.
Oh, let me till these furrowed fields,
By this sweet home
That I call mine.
In books and song I place my dreams
And wait the time
The fates assign.”
― Luo Guanzhong, Three Kingdoms