158Japanese proverb ことわざ
身から出た錆
みからでたさびMi kara deta sabi
“Rust comes from the blade itself.”
Word for wordRust out of the body.
The meaning
As rust comes from the sword's own metal and not from outside, some misfortunes are the work of our own neglect. Recognizing it makes the remedy possible: maintenance.
At the origin
The mi is the sword's blade: poorly kept, it produces its own rust.
The characters
- 身 mibody, blade
- から karafrom
- 出た
- 錆
からParticle“From, starting at” — the origin; sometimes “because”.
In practice
Facing a recurring trouble, look first for your share — without crushing yourself.
Themes
Similar proverbs
- 028 出る杭は打たれる The stake that sticks out gets hammered down.
- 172 悪銭身に付かず Ill-gotten money does not stay.
- 291 花の色は移りにけりないたづらに我が身世にふるながめせしまに The color of the flowers has faded, while I watched the long rains fall — and my life go by.
- 064 早起きは三文の徳 Early rising earns three coins of profit.
- 070 一日一善 Each day, one good deed.