084Japanese proverb ことわざ
楽あれば苦あり、苦あれば楽あり
らくあればくあり、くあればらくありRaku areba ku ari, ku areba raku ari
“After ease comes hardship, after hardship comes ease.”
The meaning
Joys and difficulties alternate like seasons. Knowing it avoids two traps: believing yourself arrived in good days, believing yourself finished in bad ones.
At the origin
A proverb from the Edo iroha cards, learned by generations of children.
The characters
- 楽 rakuease, comfort
- あれば arebaif there is
- 苦 kuhardship
- あり
- 、
- 苦
- あれば
- 楽
- あり
In practice
In ease, prepare; in hardship, endure.