Haba na haba hujaza kibaba
Little by little fills up the jar
Little drops of water,
Little grains of sand,
Make the mighty ocean
And the pleasant land.
Thus the little minutes,
Humble though they be,
Make the mighty ages
Of eternity.
Better than never is late
“Bora kuliko kamwe ni kuchelewa
-The Canterbury Tales, The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
Lilatini: potiusque sero quam numquam
Bora kuchelewa kuliko kukosa kabisa
- History of Rome, Book 4
It's never too late
Hakuna kuchelewa
Don't close the gate after the horse has bolted.
Usifunge mlango baada ya farasi kukimbia
जब जाति तब सवेरे
Wakati wowote unapoamka, ndo asubuhi yako
Fikiria kama umechelewa Mahojiano ya Ajira. Ungefanyaje? Next time unapofikiri "Nimeshachelewa" jiambie "Bora kuchelewa kuliko kukosa kabisa." Kwa mfano makala hii ya Methali ya Siku ilichelewa, lakini sasa unaisoma - Asante!
One man's meat is another man's poison
Nyama na mtu mmoja ni sumu ya mtu mwengine
A penny spar'd is twice got.
Senti iliyookolewa hupatikana mara mbili.
- Outlandish Proverbs by George Herbert (1640)
Matumizi ya pesa ndiyo faida zote zinayopatikana ukiwa na pesa.
Kwa pound [£] sita kwa mwaka [yaani riba] unaweza kutumia £ mia [yaani kupitia mkopo], kama unajulikana kama mwaminifu na mwenye busara.
Anayetumia groat [senti 4] kwa siku bure, hutumia pound £ zaidi ya sita kwa mwaka, ambazo ni bei ya kujipatia matumizi ya pound £ mia moja.
[Kwa hivyo] Anayepoteza muda wake wa thamani ya groat [senti 4] kwa siku, siku moja na nyingine, anapoteza fursa ya kutumia pound mia moja kila siku.
Anayepoteza muda wa shilingi tano kwa uvivu hupoteza shilingi tano, ni kama amezitupa tu baharini.
Anayepoteza shilingi tano sio tu kwamba anapoteza kiasi hicho, bali anapoteza pia faida yote ambayo ingeweza kupatikana kwa kuzitumia katika shughuli zake, ambayo, akiwa kijana, wakati wa uzee ingefikia kiasi kikubwa cha fedha.
Tena: anayeuza kwa mkopo huongeza bei ya kile anachokiuza kwa kiasi sawa riba angaliingiza na pesa hizo kwa kipindi ambacho atazikosa. Kwa hivyo, anayenunua kwa mkopo hulipa riba kwa kile anachonunua, na anayelipa pesa mara moja kwa kila anachonunua hukoa fursa ya kuzikopesha kwa wengine, kwa hivyo aliye na kitu alichonunua ameshalipa riba kwa matumizi yake.
Hata hivyo nasema kulipa mara moja unaponunua ni bora, kwa sababu anayeuza kwa mkopo anatarajia kupoteza asilimia tano ya mikopo; kwa hivyo anaongeza bei ya kile anachokiuza kwa asilimia ileile ili kuzuia hasara. Wanaolipa kwa mikopo hulipa kodi mara moja. Anayelipa kwa pesa mara moja anaweza kuzuia kodi hii
"Senti iliyohifadhiwa ni senti mbili hakika;
[haba] kwa siku ni [nne] kwa mwaka."
My son, a sheep's foot in thine own hand is better than the whole shoulder in the hand of a stranger; better is a lambkin near thee than an ox far away; better is a sparrow held tight in the hand than a thousand birds flying about in the air; better is a hempen robe, that thou hast, than a robe of purple, that thou hast not.
Un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l'auras
A here-you-go is worth more than two you-can-have-it-laters
明日の百より今日の五十
Today's 50 over tomorrow's 100
Meglio un uovo oggi che una gallina domani
Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow
"A monkey on the back is worth two in the bush."
-ChatGPT