Every rose has its thorn
Meaning: Even the best things have their drawbacks.
Origin: A very old image. The Latin poet Claudian wrote that the thorn arms the rose, and John Lydgate had it in English around 1430–40: "There is no rose in garden, but there be some thorn." The rock band Poison gave it new life with their 1988 hit "Every Rose Has Its Thorn."
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and Italian
- French: Il n'y a pas de rose sans épines (literally: There is no rose without thorns)
- Spanish: No hay rosa sin espinas (literally: There is no rose without thorns)
- Japanese: 綺麗な薔薇には棘がある (Kirei na bara ni wa toge ga aru) (literally: A beautiful rose has thorns)
- German: Keine Rose ohne Dornen (literally: No rose without thorns)
- Italian: Ogni rosa ha la sua spina (literally: Every rose has its thorn)
More proverbs about Wisdom
- All's well that ends well — A good outcome justifies the difficulties along the way.
- A rolling stone gathers no moss — Those who keep moving avoid stagnation (or commitments).
- Don't burn your bridges — Don't destroy relationships you might need later.
- Pearls before swine — Giving something valuable to those who can't appreciate it.
- Hindsight is 20/20 — Past decisions are always clearer in retrospect.
- Let sleeping dogs lie — Don't stir up trouble that has settled down.
From our compliments & insults
- Du hast doch einen Vogel — You're a bit out of your mind.
- Du gehst mir auf den Keks — You're getting on my nerves.
- Schlaumeier — A smart aleck or know-it-all.