Time flows silently like water. Ancient eyes never saw tonight’s moon, yet the same moon once shone upon them. The stars and moon endure, but human life is fleeting as dew.
Rumors, repeated often, become truth. A man in a melon field is suspected of theft, though innocent. A tiger in the market is believed after enough tellings. Words, once spoken, can shape reality.
In officialdom, tongues wag and hands conspire. Friends meet, yet part without a toast—even the peach blossoms would mock such coldness. If you deny kindness to others, even endless prayers are empty. True compassion lies in action, not ritual.
The noble fear the cunning, as fine horses dread weasels. If wealth came only through deceit, honest souls would starve. Good and evil always find their reckoning.
The soup of forgetfulness is neither wine nor water. The good drink and grow drowsy; the wicked drink and lose their minds. Wise friends are chosen with care; shallow ones unite in haste.
Water flows downstream without intent; clouds drift from peaks without design. Without climbing high, who would believe the ocean’s depth? Life is a journey. Walk with kindness and integrity, and you will find your way.