yàn zi xián ní lěi dà wō
the swallow's nest is built one beakful of mud at a time (idiom)
many a little makes a mickle
燕
yàn
variant of 燕[yan4]
子
zi
noun suffix, as in 椅子[yi3 zi5] "chair"
衔
xián
bit (of a bridle)
泥
ní
mud
垒
lěi
rampart
大
dà
big; large; great
窝
wō
nest