also: こけつにいらずんばこしをえず
expression
nothing ventured, nothing gained
A proverb meaning that without taking risks, you cannot achieve great rewards. The literal image is that you cannot capture a tiger cub without entering the tiger's den.
新しい事業を始めるのは怖いが、虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ずだ。
Starting a new business is scary, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.
彼は虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ずの精神で、危険な投資に挑んだ。
With a 'nothing ventured, nothing gained' spirit, he took on a risky investment.
A more colloquial and direct expression meaning 'go for it even if you might fail,' while 虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず is a formal proverb emphasizing risk and reward.
A Japanese rendering of a Chinese proverb from the Book of the Later Han, attributed to the general Ban Chao. The literal meaning is 'if you do not enter the tiger's den, you will not get the tiger cub.'