Quick translation question.

[theminion.livejournal.com]

I've been trying all morning to translate: "Circles, in all things."

But I've been failing so miserably that I'm too embarassed to actually post what I think it is.

Someone want to give me a hand? Please? I'll offer cookies!

Edit: Всё возвращается на круги своя is what I'll use. Thanks a ton guys! Love the energy and enthusiasm. :)

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lost__soul_/]

Can you give context?

[malim-praedari.livejournal.com]

Second that. Hard to translate without the context.

[theminion.livejournal.com]

Talking about people. About how no matter what they say and do, they almost always return to whatever it was they were avoiding.

Like a smoker who quit, yet started to smoke again.

Or an guy that goes back to an ex he swore up and down that he didn't like, but goes back to her after his current relationship fails.

Or the person who moved away from home because he didn't like it, yet moves back after a few years because he misses home.

[whitest-owl.livejournal.com]

There is a special phrase for that:
Всё возвращается на круги своя
Do not ask me why it is 'своя' and not 'свои' :) I guess this phrase come from ancient Russian but I do not know its origin.

[oryx_and_crake]

Yes, it is from old church Slavonic (I think that this particular quote is from the book of Ecclesiastes but I may be mistaken). And yes, this phrase is much better suited to the situation than "замкнутый круг" suggested below.

[theminion.livejournal.com]

Talking about people. About how no matter what they say and do, they almost always return to whatever it was they were avoiding.

Like a smoker who quit, yet started to smoke again.

Or an guy that goes back to an ex he swore up and down that he didn't like, but goes back to her after his current relationship fails.

Or the person who moved away from home because he didn't like it, yet moves back after a few years because he misses home.

That help?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lost__soul_/]

Well, the expression "замкнутый круг" describes such situations.

[theminion.livejournal.com]

Ah, thank you very much.

Have yourself a good day

[http://users.livejournal.com/_lost__soul_/]

You're welcome

[oryx_and_crake]

No, I think "замкнутый круг" has nothing to do with it. Замкнутый круг ("a vicious circle" in English) is a situation when a person is trying to change something, but his efforts are useless or only aggravate the situation. As an example, let's take an old joke about a girl with pimples who came to a doctor and asked to treat her.
Doctor:
- You should have more sex, then your pimples will clear off on their own.
- But doctor, I am so ugly with these pimples, no one wants to have sex with me!
- Hm, indeed. Let me see: pimples means no sex, and no sex means pimples! A vicious circle!

As to your question, I think that "всё (идёт) по спирали" is the one you need. If you move along a spiral, it means that you basically return to the same place, only in a slightly different situation because some time passed (e.g. now you are older and/or wiser).

[stickt.livejournal.com]

все повторяется по кругу

[xameleon-nr.livejournal.com]

i second this :)

[andreyshell.livejournal.com]

"пони бегает по кругу" (google it)
http://www.google.ru/search?q=%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B8+%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%B0%D0%B5%D1%82+%D0%BF%D0%BE+%D0%BA%D1%80%D1%83%D0%B3%D1%83&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:ru:official&client=firefox-a

These are kind and a bit ironic words about vain efforts to change something.

"Все возвращается на круги своя" - has much more positive sense because "круги своя" means the right way, the right direction. So, this phrase sounds good about returning home and a little bit strange about returning to ex-girlfriend and to smoking. Here you make an effort and do not have enough strength to complete. You are determined to return. You are tied with a robe (mostly in your mind).
:О)