To err is Human, but not Only…

Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. The Japanese might seem strict, but they fully acknowledge this fact – they have as many as three proverbs about it.

猿も木から落ちる – saru mo ki kara ochiru – even monkeys falls from the trees
Even though monkeys are the experts of acrobatics, they fall from trees sometimes, and that’s okay!

弘法にも筆の誤り – kōbō ni mo fude no ayamari – even Kōbō-Daishi (a famous calligrapher) makes mistakes when writing
Kōbō-Daishi, also known as Kūkai, was a respected monk who founded the important Shingon school of Buddhism, and gained recognition as a superb calligrapher; but even he must have made mistakes when writing.

河童の川流れ – kappa no kawanagare – even kappa (supernatural water creature) drown sometimes
Kappa are amphibious, so they should feel at home both on the land and underneath the water but, as the saying claims, even they happen to drown sometimes. Accidents happen…

Do you know similar proverbs in other languages?

Written by Amelia Lipko