A good beginning is half the work — proper preparation and a well-executed start reduce the total effort required and increase the probability of success.
The Lombard artisan tradition placed enormous emphasis on the preparation of the workspace and the initial steps of any craft: the luthier who began with poorly seasoned wood wasted months of work; the silk weaver who set up the loom incorrectly produced nothing but tangles; the cook who did not prepare the soffritto correctly ruined the whole dish. In every craft, a proper beginning was not merely desirable but economically necessary. The proverb generalises this craft wisdom to all areas of life: the project that begins with clear objectives, adequate resources, and well-assigned responsibilities has already done half the work of succeeding. The project that begins in confusion, with inadequate preparation, will require double the effort to recover.
Lombard artisan proverb found across northern Italy. The craft traditions of Milan, Como, and Cremona all depended on meticulous preparation before beginning actual production.
A Milanese project manager at a kickoff meeting
Prendiamoci questa settimana per definire bene obiettivi, responsabilità, e risorse. Chi ben comincia l'è a la metà del lavur.
Let us take this week to define objectives, responsibilities, and resources properly. A good beginning is half the work.
A Cremona luthier to a student selecting wood
Non avere fretta di scegliere il legno. Chi ben comincia l'è a la metà del lavur — un cattivo legno al principio è uno strumento cattivo alla fine.
Do not rush to select the wood. A good beginning is half the work — a bad piece of wood at the start is a bad instrument at the end.
A Milanese cook preparing a risotto
Il soffritto si fa con calma, cipolla bionda ma non bruciata. Chi ben comincia l'è a la metà del lavur — il risotto è già fatto a metà.
The soffritto is made slowly, onion golden but not burnt. A good beginning is half the work — the risotto is already half made.
A Turin student before writing a thesis
Scrivi la struttura prima del testo. Chi ben comincia l'è a la metà del lavur — con una buona struttura le parole vengono da sole.
Write the structure before the text. A good beginning is half the work — with a good structure the words come by themselves.