只因少咗一粒釘
只因少咗一粒釘
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
少咗粒釘，冇咗蹄鐵。
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
少咗蹄鐵，冇咗戰馬。
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
少咗戰馬，冇咗騎士。
For want of a rider the message was lost.
少咗騎士，冇咗情報。
For want of a message the battle was lost.
少咗情報，冇咗勝仗。
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
少咗勝仗，冇咗王國。
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
一切全因少咗粒馬蹄釘。
《只因少咗一粒釘》（英文：For Want of a Nail）係一首韻文，出自 13 世紀嘅日耳曼地區。呢篇嘢講緊因為初頭「少咗一粒釘」呢個微細差異，就產生一連串效果，最後引致「喪失咗成個國家」噉嘅巨大差異。
語文
[編輯]留意呢首韻文係喺 13 世紀寫嘅，由 13 世紀以嚟，一眾日耳曼語言（包括英文）起咗唔少變化。Want 呢隻字詞喺廿一世紀初英文裡便通常指想要噉解，但隻字詞喺中古英文入便係指缺乏噉嘅意思。
