water of life; life-giving water
Literal or figurative water that sustains life. Often used in religious, mythological, or poetic contexts.
The oasis we found in the desert was truly the water of life.
Idiomatic expression for strong distilled alcohol such as brandy or whisky, likening it to life-giving water.
Archaic euphemism for semen, now rarely used outside historical or literary contexts.
He downed some whisky, calling it the water of life, to revive his tired body.
In old texts, 命の水 can euphemistically refer to semen.
Standard kanji spelling.
Irregular kanji usage; 生命 is normally read せいめい. This spelling is rare and may be encountered in older or poetic texts.
Compound of 命 (いのち, 'life') + の (possessive particle) + 水 (みず, 'water'). The phrase is a calque from European languages (e.g., Latin 'aqua vitae') for distilled spirits, and also used literally for life-sustaining water.