- English translation
A person facing an unavoidable ordeal cannot sleep.
- Literal wording
Whoever has labor pains ahead of them does not sleep.
- Meaning and lesson
Someone who knows a painful trial is coming finds no rest. The certainty that the hardship cannot be escaped, together with dread of how it will feel, keeps the mind awake before the difficulty begins.
The saying draws on the image of approaching childbirth and expected labor pain. Used figuratively, it can apply broadly to anyone facing an inescapable ordeal, rather than only to childbirth or to any particular group.
- When it is used
Apply it to someone restless or sleepless because a difficult, unavoidable event is approaching, such as a dreaded task or a consequence they must face. It suits genuine looming burdens rather than trivial worries.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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