螳螂捕蝉,黄雀在后

táng láng bǔ chán , huáng què zài hòu

the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind (idiom, from Daoist classic Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子[Zhuang1 zi3]); to pursue a narrow gain while neglecting a greater danger

táng

praying mantis

láng

variant of 螂[lang2]

to catch; to seize; to capture

chán

cicada

,

huáng

yellow

què

(bound form) small bird

zài

to exist; to be alive

hòu

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