小不忍则乱大谋

(idiom) great plans can be ruined by just a touch of impatience

small / tiny / few / young

no; not so / (bound form) not; un-

cannot bear to / disturbed

cannot bear to

to bear / to endure / to tolerate / to restrain oneself

(conjunction used to express contrast with a previous clause) but / then / standard / norm / principle / to imitate / to follow / classifier for written items

(literary) (conjunction used to express contrast with a previous clause) but; then / (bound form) standard; norm / (bound form) principle / (literary) to imitate; to follow / classifier for written items

in confusion or disorder / in a confused state of mind / disorder / upheaval / riot / illicit sexual relations / to throw into disorder / to mix up / indiscriminate / random / arbitrary

see 大夫[dai4 fu5]

big; large; great / older (than another person) / eldest (as in 大姐[da4 jie3]) / greatly; freely; fully / (dialect) father / (dialect) uncle (father's brother)

to plan / to seek / scheme