The ox is slow, but the earth is patient
Meaning: Steady, unhurried work in harmony with natural rhythms eventually yields abundance.
Origin: Presented as an ancient Buddhist or Chinese proverb, but it comes from the 1983 adventure film High Road to China, in which Tom Selleck's pilot, Patrick O'Malley, is told to remember that the ox is slow, but the earth is patient.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, and Japanese
- French: Le bœuf est lent, mais la terre est patiente (literally: The ox is slow, but the earth is patient)
- Spanish: El buey es lento, pero la tierra es paciente (literally: The ox is slow, but the earth is patient)
- Japanese: 牛は遅いが、大地は辛抱強い (Ushi wa osoi ga, daichi wa shimbōzuyoi) (literally: The ox is slow, but the earth is patient)
More proverbs about Perseverance
- The cat that always cries catches no mice — Complaining and making noise accomplishes nothing; quiet, focused effort gets results.
- The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones — Great accomplishments are only possible through gradual, persistent small efforts.
- It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop — Progress at any pace is still progress; what matters is persisting, not speed.
- Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance — Long-term persistence is more powerful than raw ability or brute force.
- You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great — Greatness is not a prerequisite for beginning; beginning is the path to greatness.
- He who limps is still walking — Even imperfect progress is still progress; do not let imperfection stop you.
From our compliments & insults
- Você tem muita garra — You have fierce, relentless determination — you claw your way through any obstacle.
- Ты умница (ty umnitsa) — You're bright, clever, and admirable — said warmly of someone who handles things well.
- У тебя золотые руки (u tebya zolotye ruki) — You're extraordinarily skilled — able to make or fix anything with your hands.