鞠躬盡瘁，死而後已

From the Later Chu Shi Biao:

夫難平者，事也。昔先帝敗軍於楚，當此時，曹操拊手，謂天下以定。然後先帝東連吳越，西取巴蜀，舉兵北征，夏侯授首，此操之失計而漢事將成也。然後吳更違盟，關羽毀敗，秭歸蹉跌，曹丕稱帝。凡事如是，難可逆見。臣鞠躬盡瘁，死而後已，至於成敗利鈍，非臣之明所能逆覩也。 [MSC, trad.]

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夫难平者，事也。昔先帝败军于楚，当此时，曹操拊手，谓天下以定。然后先帝东连吴越，西取巴蜀，举兵北征，夏侯授首，此操之失计而汉事将成也。然后吴更违盟，关羽毁败，秭归蹉跌，曹丕称帝。凡事如是，难可逆见。臣鞠躬尽瘁，死而后已，至于成败利钝，非臣之明所能逆睹也。 [MSC, simp.]

From: 228, Zhuge Liang, 後出師表

Fū nán píng zhě, shì yě. Xī xiāndì bàijūn yú Chǔ, dāngcǐshí, Cáo Cāo fǔshǒu, wèi tiānxià yǐ dìng. Ránhòu xiāndì dōng lián Wú Yuè, xī qǔ Bā Shǔ, jǔbīng běi zhēng, Xiàhóu shòushǒu, cǐ Cāo zhī shījì ér hàn shì jiāng chéng yě. Ránhòu Wú gèng wéi méng, Guān Yǔ huǐbài, Zǐguī cuōdiē, Cáo Pī chēngdì. Fánshì rúshì, nán kě nìjiàn. Chén jūgōng jìncuì, sǐ ér hòu yǐ, zhìyú chéngbài lìdùn, fēi chén zhī míng suǒ néng nìdǔ yě. [Pinyin]

What is difficult to comment on and determine is war. Long ago, the Late Emperor was defeated in Chu. At this time, Cao Cao clapped his hands and said that the Chinese nation had been pacified. Then the Late Emperor allied with the states of Wu and Yue in the east, captured the kingdoms of Ba and Shu in the west, and dispatched troops to attack the north, and Xaihou was beheaded. This was Cao’s miscalculation, and the great cause of reviving the Han Dynasty was going to succeed. Then Wu changed its attitude and reneged on the alliance, Guan Yu was destroyed, the Late Emperor made a mistake at Zigui, and Cao Pi proclaimed himself emperor. In all things like this, they are difficult to be able to predict. I shall bend myself to the task and exert myself to the utmost and not give up until my death. As for whether the cause succeeds or fails and whether it progresses smoothly or roughly, that is not what my wisdom could have foreseen.

鞠躬盡瘁，死而後已

1. to bend one's back to the task until one's dying day; to give one's all till one's heart stops beating