the arrogant dragon will have cause to repent; pride comes before a fall
A yojijukugo from the I Ching (易経) warning that those who rise too high without prudence will eventually fail. Used proverbially to caution against arrogance at the peak of success.
He became the company president, but he remains humble, mindful of the saying 'the arrogant dragon will have cause to repent.'
It is precisely at the peak of success that one should recall the warning of 'the arrogant dragon will have cause to repent.'
A Japanese proverb with a similar meaning: 'the proud Heike clan does not last long.' Both warn against the dangers of arrogance, but 亢龍有悔 is a direct Chinese-derived yojijukugo from the I Ching, while 驕る平家は久しからず is a native Japanese saying rooted in historical narrative.
Standard kanji form of this yojijukugo, using the traditional character 龍.
Variant using the simplified character 竜; less common but still encountered.
From the I Ching (易経), specifically the top line of the first hexagram (乾為天). The phrase literally means 'the haughty dragon will have cause to repent,' symbolizing the downfall that follows excessive pride at the height of power.