The best of friends must part.朋友虽好,终有一别。
这条谚语源出于合唱曲“There is a Tavern in the Town”:
Fare thee well, for I must leave thee,
Do not let this parting grieve thee,
And remember that the best of friends must part,
Adieu, kind friends, adieu, adieu, adieu, adieu,
I can no longer stay with you;
I'll hang my harp on a weeping willow tree,
And may the world go well with thee.
曲中adieu是法文“再见”。weeping willow是垂柳。把竖琴挂在柳树上表示不再欢乐,停止歌唱的意思。
这谚语的意思当然还不仅限于好朋友,也可用于一切好的事物,总之劝告人们要珍惜一切好人好事。
类似的意思还有:
Everything has an end.或All good things come to an end,正如中国的谚语“天下无不散的筵席”。中国有两句流行歌曲:“好花不常开,好景不长在。”苏轼的名篇《水调歌头》中有云“人有悲欢离合,月有阴晴圆缺,此事古难全。”都有近似的意思。