Dreams or expectations may be realized too late if one waits too long.
There is an incomplete allusion to that proverb in Shakespeare's Hamlet (Act 3, Scene 2): 'Ay, sir, but “While the grass grows—” The proverb is something musty'.
Arabic translation / العربية ترجمة
عيش ياكديش حتى ينبت الحشيش
Contribution by Walid Fuad Al-Zawadi
Bulgarian translation / превод на български език
Трай, коньо, за зелена трева!
Contribution by Димитър Димитров
Danish translation / dansk oversættelse
Medens græsset gror, dǿer horsemoer.
German translation / Deutsch Übersetzung
Waehrend das Gras waechst, hungert die Stute.
Contribution by Monika Sperling
Irish translation (Gaelic) / aistriúchán Gaeilge
Mair a chapaill agus gheobhaidh tú féar.
In English: Live horse and you will get grass (live being the imperative of the verb not the adjective which is spelled in the same way). Contribution by Padraic de Bhaldraithe
Italian translation / traduzione italiana
Aspetta caval, che l'erba cresca!
In English: Wait horse, for the grass to grow.
Campa cavallo, che l'erba cresce!
Contribution by Germana Amaldi
Latin translation / translationem Latinam
Expecta bos olim herba.
Dum gramen crescit, equus in moriendo quiescit (medieval Latin).
Polish translation / tłumaczenie polskie
Nim słońce wejdzie, rosa wyżre oczy.
Contribution by Anna Gilewska
Portuguese translation / tradução em português
Enquanto a erva cresce, o cavalo morre.
In English: While the grass grows, the horse dies.
Contribution by Maria Silveira
Romanian translation / traducere în română
Să trăiești, murgule, să paști iarbă verde!
In English: Live horse, so you eat green grass!
Russian translation / русский перевод
Пока трава вырастет, лошадь с голоду помрет.
Contribution by Tatiana Grehan
Пока солнце взойдет, роса очи выест.
In English: By the time the sun rises you can be wading in dew.
Contribution by Irina Bulusheva
Spanish translation / traducción española
Mientras la yierba crece, la yegua va hambrienta.
Contribution by Monika Sperling
Mientras la hierba crece, el caballo muere.
In English: While the grass grows, the horse dies.
Muere de hambre el corcel por esperar la hierba crecer.
In English: The horse dies of hunger, for waiting for the grass to grow.
Contribution by Paula Andrea Ramos
Si esperas mucho, muere el animal.
In English: If you wait for too long, the animal dies.
Contribution by Carlos Ferrero
Mientras la hierba crece, el caballo pasa hambre. (traducción Castellana)
In English: While the grass grows, the horse starves.
Contribution by G. Rojas
Turkish translation / Türkçe çeviri
Ölme eşeğim ölme, yaz gelince yonca biçeyim.
Contribution by Mümtaz Arikan
Ukrainian translation / Український переклад
Доки сонце зійде, роса очі виїсть.
In English: By the time the sun rises you can be wading in dew.
Contribution by Irina Bulusheva