Proverb / Kotowaza
散る桜残る桜も散る桜
Just as all cherry blossoms eventually fall, every human life must eventually come to an end.
Falling cherry blossoms; the remaining cherry blossoms are also falling cherry blossoms
Quick Answer
Just as all cherry blossoms eventually fall, every human life must eventually come to an end.
- Literal Image
- Falling cherry blossoms; the remaining cherry blossoms are also falling cherry blossoms
- Closest Equivalent
- All flesh is grass
- How to Use It
- Used when reflecting on the impermanence of life, accepting the inevitability of death, or discussing the importance of living fully because time is limited.
Meaning
This expression uses the image of cherry blossoms to teach the Buddhist concept of impermanence. Even if some flowers remain on the branch while others fall, their fate is ultimately the same. It serves as a reminder that death is inevitable for all living things, regardless of how long they may live.
Literal Image
Falling cherry blossoms; the remaining cherry blossoms are also falling cherry blossoms
Equivalent Proverbs
All flesh is grass
A biblical reference to the fleeting nature of human life.
We are all mortal
A direct statement of the same inescapable biological fact.
How to Use It
Used when reflecting on the impermanence of life, accepting the inevitability of death, or discussing the importance of living fully because time is limited.
Tone
Reflective and calm, carrying a Buddhist perspective on mortality.
Examples
散る桜残る桜も散る桜——どれほど長寿でも、人はいつか逝く。大切なのは、その命をどう使うかだろう。
Falling cherry blossoms, remaining cherry blossoms are also falling cherry blossoms—no matter how long one lives, they will eventually pass away. What matters is how you use that life.
父が末期がんと診断されたとき、彼は静かに言った。散る桜残る桜も散る桜、悔いなく生きてきたから怖くないと。
When my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he said quietly: 'Falling cherry blossoms, remaining blossoms are also falling blossoms.' He said he wasn't afraid because he had lived without regrets.
春の公園で満開の桜を眺めながら、散る桜残る桜も散る桜という言葉が浮かんだ。美しいものはいつか必ず終わりを迎える。
While looking at the cherry blossoms in full bloom at the park in spring, the phrase 'falling cherry blossoms, remaining blossoms are also falling blossoms' came to mind. Beautiful things always come to an end eventually.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
The vocabulary (sakura, chiru, nokoru) is simple, but the poetic repetition and Buddhist philosophical context make the overall meaning more sophisticated.
散る
ちる / chiru
to fall (flowers, leaves); to scatter
桜
さくら / sakura
cherry blossom
残る
のこる / nokoru
to remain; to be left over
Usage Profile
Usage note: Because this proverb discusses death, it should be used with sensitivity toward the listener's circumstances.
Misread Risk
Do not use this to mean that cherry blossoms are simply beautiful; it specifically focuses on the inevitability of their fall as a metaphor for human mortality.
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Related Proverbs
Origin
This phrase is attributed as the death poem (jisei no ku) of Ryōkan (1758–1831), a Zen monk and poet from the late Edo period. Born in Echigo (present-day Niigata Prefecture), Ryōkan was a monk of the Sōtō school known for his love of poetry and simple life of alms-gathering. It is said he recited this to his disciple, the nun Teishin, while on his deathbed. It reflects his calm acceptance of the Buddhist view of impermanence (mujou). While attributed to Ryōkan, there are varying theories regarding its specific origin.
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