Literal translation
to sell the beast's hide before having killed it
Meaning
to count one's chickens before they hatch
Explanation
The proverb warns against the imprudence of someone who already counts on, in thought or in speech, a gain or an outcome not yet secured, by anticipating the happy conclusion of a matter that remains uncertain. The image comes from hunting or animal husbandry: the hide can only be sold once the animal has actually been killed, and wanting to dispose of it beforehand reflects misplaced confidence in an outcome that may never come about. The saying matches almost exactly the French proverb about selling the bear's skin before killing the bear, popularized by La Fontaine's fable, which makes its meaning immediately clear to a French-speaking reader, only the animal invoked changing according to local fauna. The verb agué (to have, to possess) functions here as an auxiliary of the participle tuado, a classic construction of the Provençal perfect tense. The proverb is quoted to warn against premature optimism or to mock someone who is already counting the profits of an unfinished venture.