059Japanese proverb ことわざ
言わぬが花
いわぬがはなIwanu ga hana
“Not saying is the flower.”
The meaning
Some things are more beautiful suggested than said. The unsaid is not always a lack: it leaves the other room to imagine, and the moment its grace.
At the origin
A proverb dear to the Japanese aesthetic of restraint and allusion.
The characters
- 言わぬ iwanunot saying
- が ga(subject)
- 花
がParticleMarks the subject: the one who does, or what is.
In practice
Sometimes resist the urge to explain everything: leave a share to silence.
Themes
Similar proverbs
- 020 花より団子 Dumplings over flowers.
- 057 目は口ほどに物を言う The eyes speak as much as the mouth.
- 107 物言えば唇寒し秋の風 As soon as words are spoken, the lips feel cold — autumn wind.
- 111 花は盛りに、月は隈なきをのみ見るものかは Should we look at blossoms only in full bloom, at the moon only when it is clear?
- 115 隣の花は赤い The neighbor's flowers are redder.