ProverbWisdomEnglish origin14th c.

All good things must come to an end

Meaning: Nothing pleasant lasts forever.

Origin: The thought is often traced to Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde (1380s), which says that "every thing hath ende." Chaucer does not mention good things; the word "good" was added to the saying much later.

Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, and Portuguese

  • French: Toutes les bonnes choses ont une fin (literally: All good things have an end)
  • Spanish: Todo lo bueno llega a su fin (literally: All good things come to their end)
  • Japanese: 盛者必衰 (Jōsha hissui) (literally: The prosperous must decline)
  • German: Alles hat ein Ende (literally: Everything has an end)
  • Italian: Ogni bel gioco dura poco (literally: Every good game is short)
  • Portuguese: Não há bem que sempre dure nem mal que não acabe (literally: No good lasts forever, no bad never ends)

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