- English translation
Every rise has a fall waiting for it.
- Literal wording
Every going-up, and it has a coming-down.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying holds that no climb lasts forever: whoever goes up, whether in wealth, rank, reputation or luck, will at some point come back down. It frames decline as the natural partner of success, so a high position should be held with humility rather than taken for granted.
It can also offer quiet comfort or warning, depending on who hears it. The Arabic pairs two nouns of the same shape, ṭalʿa (a going up) and nazla (a going down), so the opposites share a matching sound and rhythm.
- When it is used
Fits moments of reflection on changing fortunes: cautioning someone who is riding high against arrogance, or reassuring someone that a period of success or prosperity is not permanent. It can also comment, sometimes wryly, on a person or venture whose fortunes have just turned downward.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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