生うみの苦くるしみ

う

み

の

く

る

し

み

Meanings

1

expression, noun

labor pains; birth pangs

Literal physical pain of childbirth. The 産み spelling is especially appropriate here.

陣じん痛つうが始はじまり、産うみの苦くるしみ

が

本ほん

格かく

的てき

に

なっ

た

。

The contractions started and the labor pains became intense.

2

expression, noun

throes of creation; struggle to produce something new

Figurative use: the difficult, painful process of creating or bringing something new into existence, such as a work of art, a project, or an idea.

新しん製せい品ひんの開かい発はつはまさに生うみの苦くるしみだった。
Developing the new product was truly a painful creative struggle.

Kanji

産products, bear, give birth
苦suffering, trial, worry
生life, genuine, birth

Related words

陣じん痛つう
陣痛 refers specifically to labor contractions as a medical/physical phenomenon, while 産みの苦しみ is a more expressive phrase for the overall pain of childbirth.
苦く労ろう
苦労 is general hardship or toil; 生みの苦しみ specifically evokes the pain of creation or bringing something new into being.

Written forms

生うみの苦くるしみ
Common kanji spelling; 生む is the general verb for giving birth or producing.
産うみの苦くるしみ
Kanji 産む emphasizes physical childbirth; natural for the literal labor-pains sense.

Etymology

Compound of 生み/産み (umi, 'giving birth, producing') + の (no, possessive particle) + 苦しみ (kurushimi, 'pain, suffering'). Literally 'the pain of giving birth'. The figurative sense extends the childbirth metaphor to any creative struggle.