No hay mal que por bien no venga

[pia]

"There is not bad from which good doesn't come."

I got this online. what i would like to know is that is this a true spanish proverb or is it translated from English?

[aleCcowaN]

"... fué bastante para que se supiese descartar que lo pudo tener por gran dicha y con él se confirmó aquel adagio que dice: No hay mal que por bien no venga."

"Memorias", Raymundo de Lanteri, 1705.

It comes from "Nullum malum quod prorsus omni utilitate careat" and "Malum nullum est sine aliquo bono", the last one from Pliny the Elder -who died during the eruption which overwhelmed Pompeii in 79AD-.

[Sancho Panther]

A good English equivalent is the proverb "It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good".

[aleCcowaN]

Escrito originalmente por Sancho Panther

A good English equivalent is the proverb "It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good".

Thanks for that. I was racking my brains as I couldn't parse it neither from left to right nor from right to left, but I think I've come to some meaning:

"Muy adverso será el viento que no le sople algo bueno a alguien" (No hay desastre tan catastrófico que no beneficie al menos a alguien)

Is that in the right direction?

[Sancho Panther]

Absolutely - "Spot-on" as we would say in (UK) English! (¡En punto!).

[aleCcowaN]

Escrito originalmente por Sancho Panther

Absolutely - "Spot-on" as we would say in (UK) English! (¡En punto!).

Thank you very much!

Me alegra haber dado en el blanco

[ROBINDESBOIS]

I think the closest equivalent in English would be " It was a blessing in disguise" or sthg like that.