264Japanese proverb ことわざ
会うは別れの始め
あうはわかれのはじめAu wa wakare no hajime
“To meet is to begin to part.”
The meaning
Every meeting carries its ending — not to darken it, but to give it its worth. We love better what we know we cannot keep forever.
At the origin
A classic proverb on the passing nature of bonds.
The characters
- 会う auto meet
- は watopic marker
- 別れ
- の
- 始め
はParticleMarks the topic: what the sentence is about — “as for…”.
In practice
Treat those close to you as passing guests: with all the more regard.