expression
talented people are often sickly; whom the gods love die young
A yojijukugo proverb expressing the idea that gifted individuals tend to have fragile health or short lives. Used in literary or reflective contexts.
彼は若くして亡くなったが、まさに才子多病だったのかもしれない。
He died young; perhaps it was a case of 'whom the gods love die young'.
佳人薄命 specifically refers to beautiful women having unhappy fates, while 才子多病 focuses on talented people (of any gender) being sickly or short-lived.
A yojijukugo of Chinese origin, combining 才子 (talented person) and 多病 (sickly). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it reflects a traditional belief linking genius with physical frailty.