silence prevents trouble; there is safety in silence
Proverb warning that speaking unnecessarily can bring harm upon oneself, just as a pheasant gets shot because of its cry. Often used to advise discretion.
I shouldn't have said unnecessary things there. Silence would have kept me safe.
上司に文句を言ったら左遷された。雉も鳴かずば撃たれまいとはこのことだ。
I complained to my boss and got demoted. This is exactly a case of 'the pheasant would not be shot but for its cries.'
Means 'not saying is a flower,' i.e., silence is golden. It emphasizes the aesthetic value of restraint, while 雉も鳴かずば撃たれまい focuses on avoiding negative consequences.
Standard kanji form of the proverb.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling, sometimes used for readability.
A traditional Japanese proverb. The literal meaning is 'if the pheasant didn't cry, it wouldn't be shot,' illustrating that drawing attention to oneself can lead to trouble. The exact origin is uncertain, but it reflects a common theme in folklore.