"An inch of time is worth an inch of gold, and an inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time." The next sentence is: A black-haired person who doesn't know how to study hard will become a white-headed man in a blink of an eye.

It comes from "Zengguang Xianwen·Part 1". The author has never seen any book records. We only know that the Confucian scholar Zhou Xitao revised it during the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. It is likely to be the crystallization of folk creations in the Qing Dynasty.

"An inch of time is worth an inch of gold, and an inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time. A black-haired man who doesn't know how to study hard will become a white-headed man in a blink of an eye." means: an inch of time is as expensive as an inch of gold, and an inch of gold is as expensive. But it is difficult to buy an inch of time. If you don't know how to study hard when you are young, you will become a white-haired old man in a blink of an eye.

Extended information:

1. "Zengguang Xianwen", also known as "Xianwen of the Past" and "Xianwen of Ancient and Modern Times", is a children's enlightenment book compiled during the Ming Dynasty in China. It collects various Chinese maxims and proverbs from ancient times to the present, and was continuously added by literati in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

2. These two sentences tell us that time is precious and cannot be bought with money. We should cherish time and not waste it. Studying should be done early and diligently, and time should not be wasted.

3. Similar famous sayings:

(1) "Zengguang Xianwen·Part 1": Forgiving people is not a fool, and a fool will not forgive others.

Translation: People who can forgive others are not paranoid people. Paranoid people will not forgive others.

(2) "Zengguang Xianwen·Part 2": Those who respect themselves will be respected by others, and those who underestimate others will underestimate themselves.

Translation: People who know how to respect themselves will naturally be respected by others; people who look down on others also look down on themselves.

(3) "Zengguang Xianwen·Part 1": Human relationships are as thin as paper, and world affairs are like new chess games.

Translation: The relationship between people is as thin as paper and easy to tear. No matter what happens at that time, you have to face it.

(4) "Zengguang Xianwen·Part 1": If the water is clear, there will be no fish, and if people are too impatient, they will have no wisdom.

Translation: If the water is too clear and brewed, there will be no fish; if a person is too hot-tempered, there will be no wisdom.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Zengguang Xianwen