proverb · Words worth keeping
Happy is the bride the sun shines on, And the corpse the rain rains on.
Happy is the bride the sun shines on, And the corpse the rain rains on.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying gives sunshine at a wedding and rain at a funeral favourable meanings. It assigns different weather wishes to two very different occasions.
What the words are saying
Bride and corpse are paired with sun and rain, making weather a symbolic part of each event. The verse does not establish future happiness, the state of a deceased person or the outcome of a marriage. A careful reading recognises an omen or ceremonial wish while allowing people to celebrate or mourn without judging them by conditions outside their control.
Everyday example
Guests treat unexpected rain as weather rather than a verdict on a couple’s future, while respecting someone’s chosen ceremonial language.
When to use it
Use it to discuss weather symbolism around celebration and mourning.
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What it does not mean
Weather does not establish a person’s fate or the quality of a relationship.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 745 · Happy
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English