起おきて半はん畳じょう寝ねて一いち畳じょう

expression

one should be content with little; waking, half a tatami mat; sleeping, a single tatami mat

Proverb meaning that a person needs very little space to live, so one should not greedily seek more wealth or status than necessary. The literal image is that when awake you only need half a tatami mat, and when sleeping, one full mat.

• 「起おきて半はん畳じょう寝ねて一いち畳じょう」という言こと葉ばを知しっていますか。

  Do you know the saying 'waking, half a tatami mat; sleeping, a single tatami mat'?

• 欲よく張ばらずに、起おきて半はん畳じょう寝ねて一いち畳じょうの心こころで暮くらしたい。

  I want to live without greed, with the spirit of 'waking, half a mat; sleeping, one mat.'