make hay while the sun shines

English

Etymology

Hay harvest can be spoiled by wet weather. It is important that farmers seize the opportunity of dry weather for haymaking tasks (cutting, drying, gathering). Especially in medieval times, when forecasting the weather several days in advance was more difficult, it was all the more vital. Attested since 1546, originally a Tudor expression, and used figuratively since 1673.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

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Verb

to make hay while the sun shines

1. (literal, agriculture) To make hay during favourable (dry) weather.
2. (idiomatic) To act while an opportunity exists; to take action while a situation is favorable.

Usage notes

In the imperative form, this verb is used as a proverb.

Translations

act while an opportunity exists

• Breton: pa'z eus avel eo gwentañ a zo d'ober (br)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 趁熱打鐵／趁热打铁 (zh) (chènrèdǎtiě), 趁热打铁 (zh) (chènrèdǎtiě)

• Czech: kuj železo, dokud je žhavé (cs)
• Dutch: het ijzer smeden als het heet is
• Finnish: tao kun rauta on kuumaa
• German: das Eisen schmieden, so lange es heißt ist
• Greek: στη βράση κολλάει το σίδερο (sti vrási kolláei to sídero)
• Hungarian: addig üsd a vasat, amíg meleg (hu)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: batti il ferro finché è caldo
• Japanese: 善は急げ (ぜんはいそげ, zen wa isoge)
• Lao: ນ້ຳຂຶ້ນໃຫ້ຮິບຕັກ (nam khưn hai hip tak)
• Macedonian: железото се кове додека е жешко (železoto se kove dodeka e žeško)
• Malay: sediakan payung sebelum hujan (literally: "be ready with an umbrella when the rain comes")
• Portuguese: aproveite a maré
• Russian: куй желе́зо, пока́ горячо́ (kuj želézo, poká gorjačó)
• Scottish Gaelic: buain am maorach nuair a tha an tràigh ann
• Spanish: ahora que hay modo, la ocasión, la pintan calva

See also

• grasp the nettle
• strike while the iron is hot
• take time by the forelock

References

• Gregory Y. Titelman, Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings, 1996, →ISBN, p. 225.