APAD: Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown

7
7grizzly
楼主 (文学城)

Meaning:

 

A person with great power, such as a king, is constantly apprehensive.

 

Background:

 

Shakespeare's Henry IV. Part II, 1597.

 

   KING HENRY IV:

 

     And in the visitation of the winds,

     Who take the ruffian billows by the top,

     Curling their monstrous heads and hanging them

     With deafening clamour in the slippery clouds,

     That, with the hurly, death itself awakes?

 

     Canst thou, O partial sleep, give thy repose

     To the wet sea-boy in an hour so rude,

     And in the calmest and most stillest night,

     With all appliances and means to boot,

     Deny it to a king? Then happy low, lie down!

     Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

 

In this piece Henry is bemoaning his position as king in that he, unlike even

the most humble cabin-boy, cannot find a moments [sic] peace and repose.

 

- www.phrases.org.uk

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Ages before Henry, the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius obviously slept well as

he urged

    At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: "I have

    to go to work. ... "

 

I understand the emperor perfectly as he also said

    The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing.

 

One hour on the mat, you sleep at night like a log. No better sleeping pill. :-)))

妖妖灵
生于忧患 死于安乐
7
7grizzly
忧患 is useless. One dies either way:-)
妖妖灵
我从小就被老爸教育“凡事预则立,不预则废”:)
最西边的岛上
Stay away from the crown = no desire 4 power nor politicians
最西边的岛上
have peace at day and sleep like a log at night ;-)
7
7grizzly
If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail?
7
7grizzly
Sounds like eating the cake and having it :-)
最西边的岛上
哈哈哈哈 。。。;-)))
甜虫虫
With great power comes great responsibility, thus worries :)
移花接木
Guess Shakespeare never saw Chinese toddler emperors.
7
7grizzly
I've been wondering if there's a way to cheat :-)
7
7grizzly
Yes. Guangxu put each and every western king to shame :-)
移花接木
汉朝是皇帝年龄年轻化的先驱,好多代即位时刚刚wean
移花接木
听着好像还挺励志,开国皇帝基本都是生于忧患, 死的时候基本算安乐,虽然人生总不能事事如意

暖冬cool夏
Crown makes him/her uneasy and agitated:)So does power,money
甜虫虫
Do share, if you find a way :)
7
7grizzly
Suffering, unspeakable.
7
7grizzly
Roll with the punches, whatever comes :-)
妖妖灵
翻译得还真好:)但我几乎从来没有计划,just follow my heart~
妖妖灵
我一直觉得leader很重要,比如运筹帷幄,决胜千里,擒贼先擒王,将帅无能,累S三军~国家太平,老百姓就能过好日子~
妖妖灵
+1.
唐宋韵
没错,200斤麦子10里不换肩肯定是这个感觉。
唐宋韵
自古皇帝就是高危职业。
天边一片白云
haha, my dreaming life. I can not sleep like a dog.
7
7grizzly
哈哈。如果坚持每天这么锻炼到老,幸甚幸甚!
m
moonlight7
need a big head to wear the crown~
盈盈一笑间
:))