expression, noun
love so deep it extends even to a crow on the beloved's roof; all-embracing love
A classical Chinese-derived idiom (idiomatic expression) describing profound, unconditional love that encompasses everything associated with the beloved, even the most ordinary or unappealing things. Rare in modern conversation; mostly encountered in literary or explanatory contexts.
「屋烏の愛」ということわざは、愛する人の家の屋根に止まっているカラスさえも愛おしく感じる深い愛情を表している。
The proverb 'okuu no ai' expresses a deep affection so strong that even a crow perched on the roof of the beloved's house feels dear.
The original Chinese four-character idiom (愛屋及烏) from which 屋烏の愛 is derived; carries the same meaning but is even more classical and less common in Japanese.
Standard kanji form for this idiomatic expression.
Variant using the classical possessive particle 之 instead of の; mainly found in older or literary texts.
From the Chinese idiom 愛屋及烏 (ài wū jí wū), literally 'love the house and its crows', meaning that love for a person extends to everything associated with them. The Japanese form 屋烏の愛 is a wasei kango adaptation using the same characters.