Friends gathered here tonight,
From many paths, many journeys, many lives,
We share one table, one circle, one spirit.
O noble Haggis! Potent guardian o’ the feast,
Thy honest, round, and hearty form
Fuels both body and spirit,
And reminds us that life, like practice,
Is richest when shared in good company.
Born of humble kitchens,
Raised to poetry by Burns,
You embody resourcefulness, honesty, and abundance,
And invite us to share equally in joy and nourishment.
Robert Burns, with humour and passion,
Sang of your strength, your flavour, your place among us.
We, following his voice and adding our own, declare:
Friendship is the true spice of every feast,
And harmony the finest victory of every practice.
Just as the Haggis gathers many parts into one,
Junomichi, True Judo, gathers us as whole human beings.
It helps us grow, it helps us become,
Through five living principles:
Decision – the clarity to act with wholeness of body and spirit;
Control – the steady strength that brings calm direction;
Encompassing – the embrace that gathers every being into the circle;
Mobility – the breath that carries us forward, alive in change and connection;
Non-Opposition – the flowing movement of harmony in action.
And as Dr. Kano taught,
Strength shines brightest when used with wisdom,
And life grows fullest when lived for mutual benefit.
So let us lift our glasses!
To the Haggis – honest, hearty, and whole!
To Friendship – warm, enduring, and faithful!
And to Junomichi – the gentle way,
That builds harmony, nourishes kindness,
And joins us tonight in one great circle of humanity.
(Please raise up)
Slàinte mhath!
