渇しても盗泉の水を飲まず
かっしてもとうせんのみずをのまず
Meanings
- Expression better starve than fatten on ill-gotten wealth; don't lower yourself to unjust acts, no matter how desperate you are (literally: refraining to drink from a spring called Robber's Spring even if thirsty)
Kanji
- 渇 thirst. Read as カツ.
- 盗 steal. Read as トウ.
- 泉 wellspring. Read as セン.
- 水 water. Read as みず.
- 飲 drink. Read as のむ.