For Want of a Nail

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

Folklore. Variations are known since 14 c. 

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Short Variation

 
For want of a nail the shoe was lost;
For want of a shoe the horse was lost;
For want of a horse the battle was lost;
For the failure of battle the kingdom was lost-
All for the want of a horse-shoe nail.

James Baldwin, from "Fifty Famous People" 

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The story associated with the proverb, describing 
the unhorsing of King Richard III during battle, 
would place the proverb's origin after 
the Battle of Bosworth on 22 August 1485. 
It should be noted that historically 
Richard's horse was merely mired in the mud.

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"Knight" Variation
 
For want of a nail the shoe was lost,
for want of a shoe the horse was lost,
for want of a horse the knight was lost,
for want of a knight the battle was lost,
for want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
So a kingdom was lost-all for want of a nail.

 
From JLA: "The Nail"; DC Comics, 1998

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For want of a naile the shoe is lost, 
for want of a shoe the horse is lost, 
for want of a horse the rider is lost. 

George Herbert, 1640; "Outlandish Proverbs"; No 499

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"Don't care" was the man who was to blame 
for the well-known catastrophe: 
"For want of a nail the shoe was lost, 
for want of a shoe the horse was lost, 
and for want of a horse the man was lost."

Samuel Smiles, 1880; "Duty"

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For want of a nail the shoe was lost,
for want of a shoe the horse was lost;
and for want of a horse the rider was lost;
being overtaken and slain by the enemy,
all for want of care about a horse-shoe nail. 

Benjamin Franklin, 1758; "The Way to Wealth" 

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A little neglect may breed mischief ...
for want of a nail, the shoe was lost;
for want of a shoe the horse was lost;
and for want of a horse the rider was lost. 

Benjamin Franklin, 1758; "Poor Richard's Almanac". Preface

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Гвоздь и подкова

Не было гвоздя, - 
Подкова пропала. 
Не было подковы, - 
Лошадь захромала. 

Лошадь захромала, - 
Командир убит. 
Конница разбита, 
Армия бежит. 

Враг вступает в город, 
Пленных не щадя, - 
Оттого что в кузнице 
Не было гвоздя! 

Самуил Маршак, 1946  

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For lack of a nail

One nail was missing.
Who is to blame?  
The shoe got loose,   
And the horse got lame. 

The horse was limping,   
The commander is dead.    
Cavalry is defeated, 
Enemies rush ahead.   

Killing men and women  
Enter they the city...  
For lack of one nail.   
What a pity!  

Обратный перевод
VG, 8 апреля 2013