Shona

Chinono chine ingwe, bere rakadya richifamba

The procrastination of the cheetah is outdone by the hyena that eats while it is on the move

Tsanagudzo

Kana munhu uchiita chinhu kana kuita basa, unofanira kukasika kutanga kuchiita kana kuriita nekukurumidza usati wakanganiswa kana kutadziswa kuriita uye kana kutangirwa nevamwe, zvinokwanisa kuita kuti utadze kupedza kana kutadza kuzoriita basa racho. Zvichireva kuti, kasika kuita kana kutanga basa!

What the Words Say

The procrastination of the cheetah is outdone by the hyena that eats while it is on the move

What It Means

When one has a task to do they must start early or start somewhere before someone else does it or something distracts them such that they may be unable to complete or even do the task. Simply put, do not procrastinate!

Cultural Context

The proverb uses imagery from the eating habits of two creatures: the cheetah and the Hyena. The cheetah usually delays to eat its prey until it has dragged it up the tree and often loses out to a lion or other scavengers. The hyena on the other end will start eating they prey as it is moving so that in the event that lion comes to take away the food, it will have at least eaten something.

How It's Used

This can be applied in almost any task that one is already clear about. It can be contrasted with proverbs that relate to hurrying but it must be noted that this specifically refers to starting a task not completing or reviewing. The key lesson is to not delay when one is clear of what the task is but can also refer to the importance of starting somewhere even before everything is clear.