- English translation
She rose from the very grave to carry out the lot written for her.
- Literal wording
She came up out of her grave and went off to fulfil what was written for her.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying insists that whatever has been decreed for a person will come to pass, and that the person is pushed toward it with no real choice. It exaggerates this to make inevitability vivid: not even death can stop the destined course, since the woman climbs out of her tomb to complete it.
The word for the written lot carries a narrow, pejorative sense here, pointing to a fate of prostitution or shameful conduct, so the line passes gendered moral judgment on a woman. The two halves rhyme, pairing the word for her grave with the word for her written portion.
- When it is used
Said scornfully or with grim resignation of a woman seen as driven irresistibly toward disreputable behaviour, as if bound by destiny. Its fatalism and implied sexual misconduct make it a serious insult, not a neutral remark about fate; it should not be applied to anyone.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: She rose from the very grave to carry out the lot written for her.