The Wine of Life

Shake off all that sentiment and fuss,
Grip your own arms with iron hands,
Make the stone body bleed,
When you reach the shore, change course, break rocks and build roads;
Even if you see the moon, don't stop—this is no time for love!

If victory never comes,
at least let there be no dying in regret!

Hard times come to everyone, they'll come to you too.
Even then, keep your patience;
I know it will burn terribly, you'll want to cry so much,
then go ahead and weep while you burn!
Even flower pollen burns;
it burns so beautifully that such fire blazes
when the flower blooms!

Keep burning—not everyone gets the chance to burn!
Only those who know how to burn become pure!

Look at those whose foreheads you see today,
look at their arms too,
see how many scars of wounds remain there—have you noticed?
And look into their eyes.
There tears have dried and settled,
the weeping has gone into hiding, pay attention!

If you must strike with the knife,
strike your own chest!
Without sowing the seeds of self-sacrifice,
who has ever achieved self-establishment?
Know this: a knife's blow to the heart
is worth far more than the joy of love!

Don't let go;
those who let go never receive.
Don't bow down; even those without feet still walk!
If you must die, die just once, not every day!

Even if death approaches, stand tall and take the stage!
If you want to live, be ready to die!
The taste of freedom comes only by grasping discipline's hand,
bind yourself tight, the time to run is still far off!

Keep courage—anyone can lose that!
If blows come, if you stumble and bleed,
know then that this is what the right path means!

Those with good intentions will surely receive fate's kicks!
If you can't bear even that much injury to your face,
with what face do you want to live with chest held high?
Has anyone ever gained what's worth having by an easy path?

Apply balm to wounds so they heal and you can move forward!
If you want to spread light in your own home, be prepared,
become charcoal by burning, become wounded by injury!
Before wearing the victor's crown, keep a soldier's heart ready!

Being born isn't everything—count the whole time before death!
Not any happiness, not any religion, not any philosophy;
not science, knowledge, meditation, or wealth either;
life's first and last word is life itself!
Those who drink life's wine—their life's music plays on its own!