Unbeaten by rain 
Unbeaten by wind 
Unbowed by the snow and the summer heat 
Strong in body 
Free from greed 
Without any anger 
Always serene

With a handful of brown rice a day 
Miso and a small amount of vegetables suffice 
Whatever happens 
Consider yourself last, always put others first 
Understand from your observation and experience 
Never lose sight of these things

In the shadows of the pine groves in the fields 
Live modestly under a thatched roof 
In the East, if there is a sick child 
Go there and take care of him 
In the West, if there is an exhausted mother 
Go there and relieve her of her burden 
In the South, if there is a man near death 
Go there and comfort him, tell him “Don’t be afraid” 
In the North, if there is an argument and a legal dispute 
Go there and persuade them it’s not worth it

In a drought, shed tears 
In a cold summer, carry on 
Even with a sense of loss 
Being called a fool 
Being neither praised nor a burden

Such a person I want to be

- KENJI MIYAZAWA