身みを捨すててこそ浮うかぶ瀬せもあれ

Meanings

A proverb meaning that by letting go of one's attachment to safety or self-interest, one may find a way through difficulty. Literally, 'only by throwing away the body is there a ford to float across.'

「身みを捨すててこそ浮うかぶ瀬せもあれ」という言こと葉ばがあるように、時ときには思おもい切きってリスクを取とることが大たい切せつだ。
As the saying goes, 'nothing ventured, nothing gained'; sometimes it's important to take a bold risk.

Kanji

身somebody, person, one's station in life
捨discard, throw away, abandon
浮floating, float, rise to surface
瀬rapids, current, torrent
有possess, have, exist

Related words

虎こ穴けつに入いらずんば虎こ子じを得えず
A similar proverb meaning 'if you don't enter the tiger's den, you won't catch its cub.' Both encourage risk-taking, but 身を捨ててこそ浮かぶ瀬もあれ emphasizes self-sacrifice or letting go of one's own safety, while 虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず focuses on the necessity of facing danger to achieve a goal.

Built from

身み+捨すてる+浮うかぶ+瀬せ

Written forms

身みを捨すててこそ浮うかぶ瀬せもあれ
Standard kanji form of the proverb.
身みを捨すててこそ浮うかぶ瀬せも有あれ
Variant using the kanji 有れ for あれ; less common.

Etymology

A traditional Japanese proverb. The exact origin is uncertain, but it reflects a common theme in Japanese culture of self-abandonment leading to salvation or success.