About this phrase
“This too shall pass” is four words, 16 letters — roughly 46 morse symbols — an ancient wisdom phrase that has comforted people across cultures and centuries. The premier impermanence keepsake.
Cultural context
The phrase 'this too shall pass' appears in Sufi poetry (the story of Solomon seeking an inscription for a ring that would be true in any situation), in Jewish folklore (the Midrash tells a similar Solomon story), and in Persian literature. Abraham Lincoln cited a version of it in an 1859 address. The phrase encapsulates an insight about impermanence that is simultaneously comforting in hard times and humbling in good ones — it's the same phrase for both situations. In contemporary therapeutic culture, 'this too shall pass' is one of the most-used coping statements for panic attacks, depressive episodes, and grief. As a morse keepsake, it is the definitive impermanence and comfort phrase.
When to gift this phrase
Mental health crisis support pieces (particularly for panic disorder and acute depression), grief support gifts for someone early in bereavement, chronic difficulty encouragement for someone in a long hard period, and as a self-gift during a painful chapter. Works for all difficulty types — the phrase is deliberately non-specific about what 'this' is.
When this phrase is the wrong fit
Avoid for purely celebratory moments where the impermanence message casts a shadow. Don't give as a dismissal of someone's ongoing pain — 'this too shall pass' is a comfort when chosen by the sufferer, but can feel minimizing when imposed by someone else. Skip for professional contexts.
Variations you might prefer
- it will pass
- nothing lasts forever
- it won't always be like this
How the morse encodes
'THIS TOO SHALL PASS' contains the double-O in 'TOO' (three dashes / three dashes — seven consecutive dashes counting the T before them) — the same heavy double-O pattern found in 'GOOD' in this collection. The held middle of the phrase creates a pause-like effect at CW speed, a calm center between the dot-heavy 'THIS' and the mixed 'SHALL PASS' close.
Most common use cases
- Mental health crisis support piece
- Grief support gift
- Anxiety reminder jewelry
- Chronic difficulty encouragement piece
Letter-by-letter breakdown
Here is “This too shall pass” spelled out one character at a time, so you can copy it by hand, check a tattoo stencil, or space the beads on a bracelet correctly:
| Letter | Morse |
|---|---|
| T | - |
| H | .... |
| I | .. |
| S | ... |
| ␣ | / |
| T | - |
| O | --- |
| O | --- |
| ␣ | / |
| S | ... |
| H | .... |
| A | .- |
| L | .-.. |
| L | .-.. |
| ␣ | / |
| P | .--. |
| A | .- |
| S | ... |
| S | ... |
A single space between letters and a slash (/) between words keeps the pattern readable — the most common mistake in engraved and tattooed morse is running the letters together with no gaps.
THIS runs nine dots after one dash
The opening word sets a record for the phrase. T is a single dash, -, and then the dots pour out: H is ...., I is .. and S is ..., so H, I and S chain into nine straight dots — the longest single-mark run in the whole inscription. After that lone dash the word is nothing but light. It is a striking way to begin a piece: one heavy mark, then a long soft cascade. The whole run lives inside the one word, so the spacing to protect is between H, I and S; keep those gaps clear and nine dots still read as three letters rather than one unbroken pale line.
TOO is seven dashes in a row
If THIS is the phrase’s lightest word, TOO is its darkest. T is a dash and each O is three dashes, ---, so T flowing through both O’s gives seven long marks in a row — the heaviest stretch anywhere in “this too shall pass.” Coming right after the pale THIS, that block of dashes reads like a held breath, a dark, weighty center to the piece. It is the obvious place for a focal bead or a size step. Because the run stays inside the single word TOO, no word gap breaks it; the only spacing to keep honest is between the T and the two O’s, so the seven dashes still read as three separate letters and not one oversized bar.
Three doubled letters and four S's
The phrase leans on repetition. TOO carries a double O, SHALL a double L, and PASS a double S, so three of the four words end on a paired letter — a satisfying structural rhyme down the strand. S is the single most common letter overall, turning up four times, each a clean .... All told the inscription runs thirty-two dots to fourteen dashes, so it reads pale and calm except for that dark TOO in the middle. The alternation is the character of the piece: bright THIS, dark TOO, then the mixed SHALL and PASS, with those doubled letters giving each later word a little internal echo you can pick out bead by bead.
Buy "This too shall pass" in morse
Custom-phrase morse jewelry and prints from independent sellers. Send them this page and they'll match the layout above.
Turn it into something physical
This phrase fits a range of keepsake formats:
- Bracelet mockup — if the phrase is short enough (46 morse symbols here).
- Necklace mockup — best for longer phrases.
- Ring design — only works if the phrase is under about 10 morse symbols.
- Tattoo designer — exports an SVG in three layouts and three weights.
Related phrases
- Trust the process — - .-. ..- ... - / - .... . / .--. .-. --…
- One step at a time — --- -. . / ... - . .--. / .- - / .- / - …
- Keep going — -.- . . .--. / --. --- .. -. --.
- With gratitude — .-- .. - .... / --. .-. .- - .. - ..- -.…
- In loving memory — .. -. / .-.. --- ...- .. -. --. / -- . -…
- Forever in my heart — ..-. --- .-. . ...- . .-. / .. -. / -- -…
Frequently asked questions
What is "This too shall pass" in morse code?
"This too shall pass" in international morse code is - .... .. ... / - --- --- / ... .... .- .-.. .-.. / .--. .- ... ....
How long does this phrase take to send?
At 15 WPM this phrase takes about 5.4 seconds to transmit. You can hear it at any speed between 5 and 40 WPM by pressing Play above.
Can I put "This too shall pass" on a bracelet or necklace?
Yes — use our bracelet or necklace mockup tool to preview how it will look as beads, then screenshot and send to a jeweler or an Etsy seller specializing in morse pieces.
How many Morse symbols are in 'this too shall pass'?
Forty-six symbols — thirty-two dots and fourteen dashes — across sixteen letters in four words. It reads mostly pale, with one dark cluster in the middle.
Where is the longest run of dashes?
Seven dashes in a row, in the word TOO. The single dash of T runs straight through both O's, making it the darkest and heaviest stretch of the whole phrase.
Where is the longest run of dots?
Nine dots in a row, in the opening word THIS. After T's one dash, the letters H, I and S chain together into the palest stretch of the inscription.