For my friends, do not keep a gathering in fear; whether it comes or not, a new city will rise from the ashes.

This couplet is a powerful expression of emotional detachment and defiance. The poet asks his beloved/friends not to remember him for the sake of others. He suggests that whether he returns or not, life (the 'city') will continue moving on, unaffected by his memory. It speaks to the transient nature of human attachment versus the unstoppable march of time.