In remembering the martyrs — the dead are gone forever, but their spirit endures.
Tips
history
From Du Fu's (杜甫, Tang) 《石壕吏》: 存者且偷生，死者长已矣！(Those who survive scrape by; those who died are gone forever!) Written during the An Lushan rebellion (安史之乱), after Du Fu witnesses an old woman volunteering for conscription in place of her remaining son.
usage
The tail 矣 is a classical final particle (≈ 'already'). Often cited at funerals or in reflections on loss; pairs naturally with consolation to the living.
