吾妻見此，當知吾心。

吾身雖逝，吾魂常在。

風雨不改，星辰不移。

願吾妻安，願吾妻樂。

春秋代序，吾志永存。

— 孫武

“When my wife sees this, may she know my heart.

Though my body may pass, my spirit remains.

Unchanged by wind and rain, unmoved by stars and seasons.

May my wife find peace, may my wife find joy.

Through the cycles of time, my will endures forever.

— Sun Wu”

Benediction Calligraphy Notes

The calligraphy is written in a formal, classical hand. The brushstrokes are steady and deliberate, with a slight variation in pressure that suggests the writer was both confident and reflective.

· “吾身雖逝，吾魂常在” (Though my body may pass, my spirit remains): The strokes are deliberate, as if the writer was aware that these words would outlast him.

· “風雨不改，星辰不移” (Unchanged by wind and rain, unmoved by stars and seasons): The brushwork is firm, as if to emphasise the steadfastness of the promise.

· “春秋代序，吾志永存” (Through the cycles of time, my will endures forever): The final line is written with a slightly lighter touch—a fading echo of the voice that wrote it. AK