人を射んとせばまず馬を射よ
Japanese
| Kanji in this term | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 人 | 射 | 馬 | 射 |
| ひと Grade: 1 |
い Grade: 6 |
うま Grade: 2 |
い Grade: 6 |
| kun'yomi | |||
| Alternative spelling |
|---|
| 人を射んとせば先ず馬を射よ |
Etymology
Calque of Literary Chinese 射人先射馬，擒賊先擒王 (shè rén xiān shè mǎ, qín zéi xiān qín wáng, literally “to shoot the rider, first shoot his horse; to capture the thief, first capture the king”).
Proverb
人を射んとせばまず馬を射よ • (hito o in to seba mazu uma o iyo)
- begin with the lesser things to obtain the greater; he who would the daughter win, must with the mother first begin[1]
See also
- 将を射んと欲すればまず馬を射よ (shō o in to hossureba mazu uma o iyo)
References
- ^ Daniel Crump Buchanan, editor (1965), Japanese Proverbs and Sayings, reprint, revised edition, University of Oklahoma Press, →ISBN, page 130