proverb · Words worth keeping
The course of love never did run smooth.
The course of love never did run smooth.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying pictures love as a course that never runs smoothly. It presents obstacles as part of a journey rather than evidence that affection is automatically absent.
Example
Partners address a practical disagreement about plans rather than treating every difficulty as a verdict on the relationship.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Course turns a relationship into a path, and smooth supplies the hoped-for ease. A qualified application can recognise ordinary disagreements or external difficulties without making hardship the proof of true love. Never is sweeping: some situations may be easier than others. The phrase should not encourage accepting persistent mistreatment merely because the path image includes trouble.
When to use it
Use it to discuss obstacles while distinguishing workable difficulties from harmful conduct.
Keep in mind
Difficulty does not prove love, and the phrase does not require enduring mistreatment.
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