- English translation
There's no shortage of trouble in this world, but it's shared out among everyone.
- Literal wording
Worry in the world is plentiful, but it is divided up.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying admits that the world holds a great deal of hamm (trouble, worry, grief, or distress), then adds, with bass meaning 'but' rather than 'only', that this weight is never piled on one person alone. Hardship is parceled out, so every life receives a portion.
In practice it offers modest comfort. A person who believes their own pain is unique is reminded that neighbors, friends, and strangers each carry something unseen. The point is perspective and solidarity, not dismissal: grief is real, yet it is a common human lot.
- When it is used
Say it to someone who feels singled out by misfortune, reminding them that others carry their own burdens too. It can also serve as a wry remark when people compare their troubles and each discovers the other has a share.
- Register
- colloquial
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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