proverb · Words worth keeping
He that sings on Friday shall weep on Sunday.
He that sings on Friday shall weep on Sunday.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying predicts Sunday sorrow for someone who sings on Friday. It turns enjoyment on one day into an omen about another.
Example
Someone discussing weekday beliefs distinguishes a memorable rhyme from evidence that singing brings misfortune.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Singing and weeping provide opposite moods attached to named weekdays. The rhyme can reveal a superstition about timing, but it does not establish a reason that joy must cause sadness. A useful reading identifies the claimed reversal without discouraging harmless enjoyment or treating a later disappointment as proof that the omen worked.
When to use it
Use it to examine a weekday omen critically.
Keep in mind
The rhyme does not establish causation between singing and later sorrow.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their 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
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English