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Japanese Proverbs Starting by mi
身から出た錆
[みからでたさび, mi kara deta sabi]
a fault of one’s own making; it’s all your own doing (lit.: rust that comes from oneself)
見ざる聞かざる言わざる
[みざるきかざるいわざる, mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru]
not to see, hear, or say; see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil
水掛け論
[みずかけろん, mizukakeron]
an endless and fruitless discussion (lit.: a water-splashing discussion)
水清ければ魚住まず
[みずきよければうおすまず, mizu kiyokereba uo sumazu]
fish do no live in clear water
水臭くする
[みずくさくする, mizu kusaku suru]
be reserved, to (n.b.: describes a person lacking frankness, or who treats friends as strangers)
水の泡となった
[みずのあわとなった, mizu no awa to natta]
it has come to naught, nothing
水の漏らさぬ仲だ
[みずのもらさぬなかだ, mizu no morasanu naka da]
an incredibly close friendship or relationship
味噌の味噌臭いは上味噌にあらず
[みそのみそくさいはじょうみそにあらず, miso no misokusai wa joumizu ni arazu]
the perfection of art is to conceal art (Latin: ars est ars celare)
味噌をつける
[みそをつける, miso o tsukeru]
make a mess of things
三日坊主
[みっかぼうず, mikka bouzu]
someone who tries something new or different intently for a brief period of time; giving up after only a little time or effort (lit.: a priest/monk for three days)
港口で難船
[みなとぐちでなんせん, minatoguchi de nansen]
there’s many a slip ‘twixt cup and lip (lit.: a shipwreck at the harbor entrance)
見ぬが花
[みぬがはな, minu ga hana]
ignorance is bliss (lit.: not to see is a flower)
身のほどを知れ
[みのほどをしれ, mi no hodo o shire]
know your limits
身は一代名は末代
[みはいちだいなはまつだい, mi wa ichidai, na wa matsudai]
life is for one generation, a good name is forever
耳遠ければ命長し
[みみとおければいのちながし, mimi tookereba inochi nagashi]
a deaf person lives long
見目より心
[みめよりこころ, mime yori kokoro]
handsome is as handsome does (lit.: better a good heart than good looks)
都落ち（をする)
[みやこおち（をする）, miyako-ochi]
leave Tokyo (to live somewhere else)
深山の桜
[みやまのさくら, miyama no sakura]
a hidden beauty (a beautiful woman few know about)
身を殺して仁をなす
[みをころしてじんをなす, mi o koroshite jin o nasu]
sacrifice one’s life to do good, to; a candle lights others and consumes itself
身を捨ててこそ浮かぶ瀬もある
[みをすててこそうかぶせもある, mi o sutete koso ukabu se mo aru]
he that loseth his life shall find it; nothing ventured, nothing gained (lit.: only when you throw yourself [into the water] shall you find shallows where you can float to safety)
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