Shàozhuàng bù nǔlì; lǎodà tú shāng bēi.*

少壯不努力, 老大徒傷悲。

Lit [If one does] not work hard [when young and] strong, [when one is] old, [one will have to] lead a miserable life.

Fig “An idle youth, a needy old age.”

Note [A line from the Han dynasty yuèfǔ poem: “Cháng Gē Xíng”; see also hēi fà bù zhī and lǎo bù xiēxīn above.]

Topics AGE Cháng Gē Xíng CONSEQUENCES Han dynasty IDLENESS LAZINESS OLD AGE poem YOUTH yuèfǔ