noun
good and bad fortune, weal and woe
A yojijukugo encompassing all aspects of fortune: good luck, bad luck, happiness, and misfortune. Often used in philosophical or literary contexts.
人生には吉凶禍福がつきものだ。
Life is full of good and bad fortune, weal and woe.
A yojijukugo composed of 吉 (good luck), 凶 (bad luck), 禍 (calamity), and 福 (fortune). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it is a conventional compound expressing the duality of fortune.