expression
the world is ever-changing; vicissitudes of life
A literary yojijukugo originating from a Chinese legend, expressing that the world undergoes constant, dramatic change, like a mulberry field turning into a sea. Rare in modern conversation; used in formal or literary contexts.
桑田滄海の世の中、栄枯盛衰は避けられない。
In this ever-changing world, ups and downs are inevitable.
栄枯盛衰 focuses on the rise and fall of individuals or families, while 桑田滄海 emphasizes the vast, transformative changes of the world itself.
有為転変 is a Buddhist term for the impermanence of all things, often used in a spiritual or philosophical sense, whereas 桑田滄海 is a more concrete, legendary image of worldly change.
From a Chinese legend in which a mulberry field transforms into a blue sea, symbolizing the great changes of the world over time. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the phrase is conventionally associated with this imagery.