遅かれ早かれ

Compound of 遅(おそ)かれ (osokare, imperative of 遅い) + 早(はや)かれ (hayakare, imperative of 早い), using the alternative Classical Japanese imperative forms from 遅かる, 早かる, from contractions of the adverbial forms (in く (-ku)) 遅(おそ)く (osoku) + ある (aru) and 早(はや)く (hayaku) + ある (aru) respectively.

This term uses the so-called 命令形(めいれいけい)の放任法(ほうにんほう) (meireikei no hōninhō, “permissive imperative”), whereby the notionally imperative form is used to instead “permit” the adjective in question, or to give a hypothetical case. Often, しろ (shiro) or せよ (seyo) are used in the same role, e.g. どっちにしろ (either way). At any rate, the overall meaning can be conceived of as “be it soon or be it late”.

• IPA^(key): [o̞so̞ka̠ɾe̞ ha̠ja̠ka̠ɾe̞]

遅(おそ)かれ早(はや)かれ • (osokare hayakare) 

1. sooner or later
   • 2021 December 31, 暁Records, “こ～んさるたん [Coooonsultant!]”, Stack (lyrics), Stack Bros. (music)‎^[1]performed by Stack:

     遅(おそ)かれ早(はや)かれいずれはここも枯(か)れ果(は)てましょう　ですから
     今(いま)のうちにサスティナブルな利益(りえき)　それを追求(ついきゅう)すべきです

     osokare hayakare izure wa koko mo karehatemashō desu kara
     ima no uchi ni sasutinaburu na rieki sore o tsuikyū subeki desu

     Sooner or later, this place'll dry up, too, so
     We had best pursue sustainable profits while we still can