Proverb from Saudi Arabia
Arabic
الصيفَ ضَيَّعْتِ اللبنَ
aṣ-Ṣayfa ḍayyaʿti l-laban.
Meaning
Said of someone who let a chance slip at the right time and asks for it when it is too late. Lisan al-Arab: milk is plentiful in summer, so the saying is used of leaving a thing while it is possible and seeking it once it has become impossible.
Source
Ibn Manzur, Lisan al-Arab, root ص ي ف (s-y-f), on Arabic Wikisource
Lisan al-Arab, quoting Ibn al-Anbari, says it was first said by ʿAmr ibn ʿAmr ibn ʿUdas to his former wife Dakhtanus bint Laqit. The verb stays feminine whoever it is said to.
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What is a proverb? A short, well-known, and memorable saying that expresses a common truth, practical experience, or piece of advice.