- English translation
Don't call your day a good one until it has come to an end.
- Literal wording
Do not praise your day except after it passes.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying warns against declaring your own day good while it is still in progress, before it has passed. Whatever has gone well so far, the remaining hours could still bring trouble, so any verdict on the day is incomplete until it has actually ended.
More broadly, it recommends patience and caution before passing judgment. Praise is best reserved for outcomes that are already settled, because an early impression can be overturned by what follows.
- When it is used
Suitable when someone praises their own day, plan, or situation while it is still unfolding. It works as gentle advice to hold back judgment until events have fully run their course, since a good start offers no guarantee of a good finish.
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- Colloquial Arabic
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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