This is a very simple, clear and self-explanatory proverb. It means that time and tide do not wait for anybody. Time goes on passing without caring for anybody and anything. Similarly tides occur ; they have no regard or consideration for anybody. Time and tide symbolise valuable opportunity. They occur without any notice. The essence of the proverb is that opportunities do not wait for anyone. No one can command or foretell their occurrence or recurrence. One should be alert and cautious because they occur without any notice. They are generally shortlived and pass quickly; No one can say whether or when they would come again. So one should be fully prepared to make the best use of an opportunity as and when it presents itself.
Time and tide are natural phenomena. Like other agents of nature, they too have no consideration and regard for any individual. Man cannot change their course. They are beyond the control of human hands. Man finds himself helpless before them. In ancient times there were no steamships. There were huge boats equipped with sails. They were called ships. Their launching in the sea was a difficult affair, which depended on the tide. The sailors had to wait for weeks and sometimes for months, because their ships could not sail without the help of a tide. As soon as the tide came, they sailed their ships away with it. If they missed the chance, they had to wait for the next tide about which there could be no certainty. A tide never waits for any sailor. It is for the sailor to wait and take advantage of the tide when it comes. It is for the sailors to take advantage of the tide. If they fail they suffer the consequences. ‘
This proverb is a lesson to all of us. It lays emphasis on the desirability of our preparedness to make the best use of an opportunity that presents itself to us. We should, therefore, remain vigilant, because even the slightest carelessness on our part may result in missing a great opportunity