ProverbChallenge
English origin1650
English origin1650The darkest hour is just before the dawn
Meaning: Situations often worsen right before they improve dramatically.
Origin: The theologian and historian Thomas Fuller wrote in A Pisgah-Sight of Palestine (1650) that it is always darkest just before the day dawns. Fuller meant it as spiritual consolation: rescue comes when things look most hopeless.
Equivalents in Japanese and German
Japanese: 夜明け前が最も暗い (Yoake mae ga mottomo kurai) (literally: Just before dawn is the darkest)
German: Wenn die Not am größten, ist die Hilfe am nächsten (literally: When the need is greatest, help is nearest)
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