莊周夢蝶

From a tale in the book Zhuangzi:

昔者莊周夢為胡蝶，栩栩然胡蝶也，自喻適志與。不知周也。俄然覺，則蘧蘧然周也。不知周之夢為胡蝶與，胡蝶之夢為周與。周與胡蝶，則必有分矣。此之謂物化。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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昔者庄周梦为胡蝶，栩栩然胡蝶也，自喻适志与。不知周也。俄然觉，则蘧蘧然周也。不知周之梦为胡蝶与，胡蝶之梦为周与。周与胡蝶，则必有分矣。此之谓物化。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE

Xī zhě Zhuāng Zhōu mèng wéi húdié, xǔxǔ rán húdié yě, zìyù shì zhì yǔ. Bùzhī Zhōu yě. Érán jué, zé qúqú rán Zhōu yě. Bùzhī Zhōu zhī mèng wéi húdié yǔ, húdié zhī mèng wéi Zhōu yǔ. Zhōu yǔ húdié, zé bì yǒu fēn yǐ. Cǐ zhī wèi wùhuà. [Pinyin]

Once, Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering about, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn't know that he was Zhuang Zhou. Suddenly he woke up and there he was, solid and unmistakable Zhuang Zhou. But he didn't know if he was Zhuang Zhou who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming that he was Zhuang Zhou. Between Zhuang Zhou and the butterfly there must be some distinction! This is called the "Transformation of Things".

莊周夢蝶

1. (figurative, philosophy) one is never certain whether what one sees is reality or illusion; changeable nature of human life