Sorry for not being clearer. I think the author intended "now" to be vague and dependent on context, and that the flexibility of such terms is part of what giv

Sorry for not being clearer. I think the author intended "now" to be vague and dependent on context, and that the flexibility of such terms is part of what gives proverbs longevity. It's assumed the reader can infer the general meaning and adapt it to their situation. Plus it's poetic and succinct which makes it easier to remember. Consider the list of proverbs on this page from Aesop's Fables: http://aesop.magde.info/ http://aesop.magde.info/ Arguing about whether the unknown ancient author should have said "when optimal" rather than "now" does not improve the ability of the reader to understand the underlying meaning -- that if something should have been started long ago, urgency is appropriate and dwelling on the past is counterproductive.