Original Version of a Miyamoto Musashi Quote

[thbwelsh]

I feel very drawn to the quote "The only reason a warrior is alive is to fight, and the only reason a warrior fights is to win" and I was hoping someone could provide me with the original Japanese quote, as I am having a difficult time finding it, and would like have it in a picture in my room. Thank you for the help!

 

[Majestic]

This seems to be one of those quotes that benefits from a bit of translation sleight of hand. It doesn't appear anywhere in this form in the original Japanese Book of Rings. The closest thing to it (according to a poster on Japanese Yahoo) is the following:

武士の兵法を行ふ道は
何事に於ても人にすぐるゝ所を本とし、
或は一身の切合に勝ち、
或は数人の戦に勝ち、
主君の為め、名を揚け身を立んと思ふ、
是れ兵法の徳を以てなり

which isn't nearly as pithy, succinct, or memorable as the somewhat dubious English translation is.