将を射んと欲すればまず馬を射よ

Japanese
Kanji in this term
将 射 欲 馬 射
しょう
Grade: 6		 い
Grade: 6		 ほっ
Grade: 6		 うま
Grade: 2		 い
Grade: 6
kan’on kun’yomi
Alternative spellings
將を射んと欲すればまず馬を射よ (kyūjitai)
将を射んと欲すれば先ず馬を射よ

Etymology

Based on a poem by Du Fu.[1]

Literally “to shoot the general, first shoot his horse”.

Proverb

将(しょう)を射(い)んと欲(ほっ)すればまず馬(うま)を射(い)よ • (shō o in to hossureba mazu uma o iyo) 

  1. begin with the lesser things to obtain the greater; he who would the daughter win, must with the mother first begin[2]

See also

References
  1. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. Daniel Crump Buchanan, editor (1965), Japanese Proverbs and Sayings, reprint, revised edition, University of Oklahoma Press, →ISBN, page 130
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