- English translation
Before you go to war, play it gentle and keep foul words off your tongue; creep along under the riverbank like a boat until the wind is in your favor.
- Literal wording
Before you fight, tread softly and placate, and do not say anything ugly; and travel beneath the bank like the boat, until the wind turns good.
- Meaning and lesson
Before opening hostilities against an adversary, keep your intentions hidden. Treat the person gently, show no enmity, and refrain from speaking ill of them, because premature open hostility exposes you before you have the strength or circumstances to prevail.
The image of a small boat hugging the riverbank instead of braving the current captures patient waiting. Hold back until fortune turns in your favor, then move, just as a vessel sets out only once the wind becomes favorable. The restraint is temporary, not lasting submission.
- When it is used
Suitable when counseling someone tempted to confront a stronger rival too early: keep a civil front, avoid insults, and stay close to safety until conditions clearly favor action. It fits strategic or cautionary advice rather than moral teaching about forgiveness. It should not be used to urge lasting appeasement.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Before you go to war, play it gentle and keep foul words off your tongue; creep along under the riverbank like a boat until the wind is in your favor.