unfailing devotion to one's country; serving one's country for seven lives
A yojijukugo expressing the samurai ideal of repaying one's country with loyalty across multiple lifetimes. The literal meaning is 'seven lives, serve the country'. It is strongly associated with pre-war militarism and is now rare, mostly encountered in historical or literary contexts.
The spirit of 'unfailing devotion to one's country' was emphasized in pre-war education.
His will bore the words 'serving one's country for seven lives'.