Kanji 禍 calamity, misfortune, evil Related words 人にん 間げん 万ばん 事じ 塞さい 翁おう が 馬うま Similar proverb meaning that life's fortunes are unpredictable; often used to express that a misfortune may turn out to be a blessing. 禍福は糾える縄の如し emphasizes the intertwining of good and bad, while 人間万事塞翁が馬 focuses on the uncertainty of outcomes.
沈しず む 瀬せ あれば 浮う かぶ 瀬せ あり Another proverb meaning that after a low tide comes a high tide; similar in consoling tone but uses a metaphor of water rather than a rope.
Written forms 禍福かふく は 糾あざな える 縄なわ の 如ごと し
Standard kanji form using 糾 and 如 . This is the most common written form.
禍福かふく は 糾あざな える 縄なわ のごとし
Variant with ごとし instead of 如し ; slightly less formal but still common.
禍か 福ふく はあざなえる 縄なわ の 如ごと し
Mixed kanji-kana form; 糾 is written as あざなえる , which may be easier to read for some.
禍か 福ふく はあざなえる 縄なわ のごとし
Mixed kanji-kana form with ごとし ; less common but acceptable.
Etymology From classical Chinese literature, specifically the 'Shiji' (Records of the Grand Historian). The phrase compares the intertwining of fortune and misfortune to the strands of a rope, which are twisted together and cannot be separated.
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