猿えん猴こうが月つきを取とる

expression, godan verb (-ru)

overreach and fail; a monkey tries to catch the moon's reflection

Idiomatic expression meaning to attempt something beyond one's ability and fail, likened to a monkey trying to grasp the moon's reflection in water. Literary and somewhat rare; often used as a cautionary metaphor.

• 猿えん猴こうが月つきを取とるような真似まねはやめておけ。

  Don't try to do something that's like a monkey trying to catch the moon—you'll just fail.

• 彼かれの計けい画かくは猿えん猴こうが月つきを取とるようなものだ。

  His plan is like a monkey trying to catch the moon—doomed to fail.