電でん光こう朝ちょう露ろ

Meanings

1

noun

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)

A yojijukugo likening the transience of life to a flash of lightning or morning dew. Used in literary or philosophical contexts to express the brevity of existence.

人じん生せいは電でん光こう朝ちょう露ろのごとし。
Life is as fleeting as a flash of lightning or morning dew.

dew, tears, expose

Similar words

朝あさ露つゆ
Refers specifically to morning dew, often used metaphorically for transience. 電光朝露 combines this with lightning to intensify the image.
泡沫うたかた
Means 'bubble' or 'foam', also used to describe something ephemeral. 電光朝露 is more classical and explicitly ties to lightning and dew.

Etymology

A yojijukugo composed of 電光 (lightning flash) and 朝露 (morning dew), both symbols of extreme transience. The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it follows a common classical pattern of pairing natural images to express impermanence.