proverb · Source-linked selection
Sorrow comes unsent for, and, like the unbidden guest, brings his own stool.
Sorrow comes unsent for, and, like the unbidden guest, brings his own stool.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
An unexpected sorrow can arrive and remain. The uninvited guest bringing a stool pictures trouble that settles in rather than passing straight through.
What the words are saying
The guest was neither requested nor expected, and the stool suggests an intention to stay. This makes the disruption vivid without assigning blame to the person who experiences it. A useful interpretation acknowledges that some difficulties require ongoing accommodation and support. It does not prove that sorrow must be permanent or that a person should resign themselves to every harmful circumstance.
Everyday example
Friends continue offering practical support after the first days of a loss instead of assuming the difficulty has already passed.
When to use it
Use it to recognise an unexpected burden that needs sustained attention.
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What it does not mean
A lasting burden is not necessarily permanent, and support or action can still help.
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 1476 · Sorrow
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English