Do not procrastinate when you have the opportunity to act. Time is fleeting, and the chance you have now may not return.
This proverb addresses one of the most universal human failings: procrastination. In Italian it carries an implicit paradox — the person who has time is precisely the one most tempted not to use it, since abundance creates complacency. The saying warns that this is a trap: time itself has a habit of running out, and the person who waits for a better moment may find that no better moment comes. The proverb is recorded in Tuscan collections from the fifteenth century and is associated with the mercantile culture of the Italian Renaissance, in which time literally was money and delays in trade could prove costly. It reflects the same philosophical tradition as the Latin 'Carpe diem' but frames it not as a call to pleasure but as a practical instruction about getting things done. The saying is widely used by Italian parents and grandparents addressing younger family members who are delaying important decisions or tasks. Its rhythmic quality — the repetition of 'tempo' — makes it memorable and gives it an almost musical feel.
Associated with Florentine mercantile culture of the Renaissance, where time management had direct economic consequences.
Completing paperwork
Manda la domanda oggi — chi ha tempo non aspetti tempo.
Send the application today — don't wait when you have the time.
Learning a skill
Sei in vacanza e potresti imparare a cucinare. Chi ha tempo non aspetti tempo.
You're on holiday and you could learn to cook. Don't wait when you have the time.
Calling a relative
Chiama tua zia adesso che sei libero. Chi ha tempo non aspetti tempo.
Call your aunt now that you're free. Don't wait when you have the time.
Home repairs
Aggiusta il rubinetto prima che peggiori. Chi ha tempo non aspetti tempo.
Fix the tap before it gets worse. Don't wait when you have the time.