proverb · Words worth keeping
In the long run the greyhound kills the hare.
In the long run the greyhound kills the hare.
In print by 1857 AD · industrial
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
An initial advantage can be overcome through sustained effort. The long pursuit gives persistence a role, without promising that every determined person wins or turning exhaustion into a duty.
What the words are saying
The greyhound’s pursuit reaches its result in the long run rather than necessarily at the beginning. In a human comparison, continuing a sound effort can matter more than a discouraging first position. Ask what progress is possible and whether the approach remains suitable. This is a reading of the pursuit image, not evidence about every greyhound or hare. The ending is not a guarantee that perseverance defeats all obstacles. Rest, changed circumstances and a different aim may also belong to a thoughtful response to difficulty.
Everyday example
A learner follows a manageable practice routine over several weeks instead of judging the whole effort by the first awkward attempt.
When to use it
Use it to value sustained, suitable effort beyond an unpromising beginning.
What it does not mean
Persistence is not a guarantee or an obligation to endure harm; allow rest and reassessment.
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 (Spanish-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1857 AD · industrial
In print by 1857: recorded in A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857) (1857 AD)
Printed page 195; Spanish section, paragraph 4071; source wording: A la longa el galgo á la liebre mata.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.