proverb · Source-linked selection
He that will thrive must rise at five. He that hath thriven may lie till seven.
He that will thrive must rise at five. He that hath thriven may lie till seven.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying links early effort with advancement and imagines success allowing more leisure. Its clock times are memorable rhetoric rather than a universal schedule.
What the words are saying
The contrast between five and seven makes work before prosperity differ from life after it. It can prompt reflection on how effort and leisure are distributed. Rising early does not guarantee success, and a person’s useful work may happen at other times. A careful reading asks what a particular task needs and whether the demands are reasonable, without making sleep deprivation or privilege a measure of merit.
Everyday example
A person plans focused time that suits their responsibilities rather than assuming one early hour works for everyone.
When to use it
Use it to discuss the relationship between effort, opportunity and leisure.
Put a useful idea into practice: try the free seven-day guide ↗
What it does not mean
This is not sleep advice; early rising does not guarantee prosperity.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1612 · Thrive
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English