strike while the iron is hot

English

red hot iron

(metallurgy, blacksmithing, literally) To strike a hot piece of metal, especially iron, with a mallet or other tool before it cools, while it is still hot enough to be shaped.
(idiomatic) To act on an opportunity promptly while favorable conditions exist; to avoid waiting.
We should strike while the iron is hot and order some immediately, before they change the offer.

When expressed in the imperative mood, this term is a well-known saying or proverb:
Strike while the iron is hot!

act on an opportunity promptly

Italian: battere il ferro finché è caldo
Japanese: 善は急げ (ぜんはいそげ, zen-wa isoge), 膳は急げ (ぜんはいそげ, zen-wa isoge), 鉄は熱いうちに打て (てつはあついうちにうて, tetsu wa atsui uchi ni ute)
Korean: 쇠뿔도 단김에 빼랬다 (ko) (soeppuldo dan-gime ppaeraetda)
Lingala: otútá ebendé ntángo ezalí na mɔ̌tɔ
Lithuanian: kalti geležį, kol ji karšta
Macedonian: железото се кове додека е жешко (želézoto se kóve dódeka e žéško)
Maltese: il-ftira sħuna tajba
Norwegian: smi mens jernet er varmt (no)
Polish: kuj żelazo póki gorące
Portuguese: malhar enquanto o ferro está quente
Russian: куй желе́зо, пока́ горячо́ (kuj želézo, poká gorjačó)
Serbo-Croatian: željezo se kuje dok je vruće
Spanish: batir el hierro cuando está al rojo
Swedish: smida medan järnet är varmt (sv)
Thai: ตีเหล็กเมื่อแดง กินแกงเมื่อร้อน (tii lèk mêua daeng, kin kaeng mêua rón)
Turkish: demir tavında dövülür

Gregory Y. Titelman, Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings, 1996, →ISBN, p. 309.

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