It means: Without going through the bone-chilling cold, how can there be the fragrance of plum blossoms?

Source: Tang Dynasty Zen Master Huang Chang's "Ode to the Speech in the Hall"

Original poem:

The world is far away from work and things are very difficult, so tighten the rope and make a knot field.

How can you get the fragrance of plum blossoms without experiencing a bone-chilling cold?

Translation:

It is unusual to get rid of the worldly work, and you must work hard to do it. Without going through the bone-chilling cold, there would be no fragrance of plum blossoms.

Extended meaning:

"How can plum blossoms smell so fragrant without a bone-chilling cold?" Plum blossoms come from people. In the highly philosophical abstract summary, the author has discovered the similarities between human nature and physical nature, so writing about plum blossoms and writing about people are completely consistent.

As far as their internal logical connection is concerned, these two sentences actually deduce the universal significance of the principles and interests shown earlier in the wider nature, and at the same time they also focus on highlighting the experience. The process of being tempered by wind and frost has an inevitable relationship with the wonderful and fragrant result.

Plum blossoms bloom between the twelfth lunar month of winter and the cold spring. In a cold and chilly world, she stands out as a proud and warm messenger. She not only adds vitality to the world, but also shows the joy of life. Hope predicts a bright and brilliant spring. The reason why she is cherished by people is that she can break through the cold winter, show her own beauty when the flowers are still silent, and enrich people's lonely and empty hearts. This is her uniqueness.

As for the plum blossom itself, if it were not for her nature of being proud of the frost and fighting the snow, she could withstand the invasion of the cold current and show her unique charm, thereby adding an even more astonishing fragrance. Just like the countless exotic branches competing for beauty in spring, she will not show her own personality that is different from the flowers. And this is exactly the consistency between physical nature and human nature.