045Japanese proverb ことわざ
紺屋の白袴
こうやのしろばかまKōya no shirobakama
“The dyer wears an undyed hakama.”
The meaning
Too busy for oneself: the craftsman who dyes everyone's clothes never dyed his own. The proverb smiles at those who give others what they deny themselves.
At the origin
An Edo-period image: the dyer (kōya) worked indigo all day long.
The characters
- 紺屋 kōyadyer
- の noof (link)
- 白袴
のParticleLinks two words: possession or belonging, like “of”.
In practice
Keep a little of your craft and your care… for yourself.