proverb · Legacy record
He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day.
He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying lets someone retreat from a fight and live to fight again. As an analogy, withdrawing now can preserve the possibility of a later response.
What the words are saying
Another day makes survival or continued capacity more valuable than staying in the immediate contest. A responsible interpretation can discuss a considered pause without supplying combat advice or promising a safe escape. Not every undertaking deserves another attempt.
Everyday example
A team pauses an unworkable approach and reassesses whether a later attempt serves its purpose.
When to use it
Use it as a qualified retreat-and-continuation metaphor.
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What it does not mean
No safe retreat, future success or need to resume conflict is guaranteed.
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
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 374; PDF page 56
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.