One must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day has been.

The saying expresses a retrospective ethic: the true quality of a life, project, or “day” can only be judged once it has run its course. It cautions against premature celebration or despair, since early appearances may be overturned by later developments. In Sophoclean terms, it resonates with the tragic insight that fortune and character are revealed over time, and that final outcomes—often shaped by unforeseen reversals—clarify what earlier moments meant. More broadly, it encourages patience in evaluation and humility about present judgments, suggesting that meaning and “splendor” are best assessed from the vantage point of completion.