魚うお心ごころあれば水みず心ごころ

expression

kindness begets kindness; you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours

Proverb meaning that if you show goodwill to others, they will respond in kind. The literal image is that if a fish is kind to the water, the water will be kind to the fish.

• 魚うお心ごころあれば水みず心ごころで、こちらが親しん切せつにすれば相あい手ても親しん切せつにしてくれるものだ。

  As the saying goes, kindness begets kindness; if you are kind to others, they will be kind to you in return.