Inside ourselves there lies the root of good:
the heart outweighs all talents on this earth.
Just as the lotus wilts, the mums bloom forth—
time softens grief, and winter turns to spring.
Heaven grants us this hour: now from our gate
all mists have cleared; on high, clouds roll away.
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind.
To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead.
Not for the body, but for the heart; companion and company are needed.
Love seldom haunts the breast where learning lies,
And Venus sets ere Mercury can rise.
Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Nguyễn Du (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.