It means: Life is as weak as an ant, but it should have the ambition to fight in the sky like an eagle. Bad luck treats us as unkindly as a piece of paper, but we should have the heart not to surrender to fate.
The ambition of a swan is a metaphor for having lofty ambitions. Source: "Historical Records of the Chenshe Family" by Sima Qian of the Western Han Dynasty: "Alas! The sparrow knows the ambition of the swan!" Translation: Alas! How can the sparrow know the ambition of the swan!
Allusion: In the late Qin Dynasty, Chen She, one of the leaders of the peasant uprising, had a poor family when he was a child and was often hired to farm the fields. One day, when he was taking a break from farming, the more he thought about the unfairness of society, the angrier he became, so he said to the people resting together: "If one day I become rich, I will never forget you." His companions listened. His words mocked him for his whims and daydreaming. He couldn't help sighing and said: "Oh, how can the sparrow understand Honghu's lofty ambitions!"
Extended information
Synonyms of Honghu's ambition
Qingyun's ambition
Pinyin: qīng yún zhī zhì.
Definition: Refers to lofty ambitions.
From: "Preface to Prince Teng's Pavilion" by Wang Bo of the Tang Dynasty: "When you are old and strong, you would rather have a gray-headed heart? When you are poor and strong, you will not fall into the clouds."
Translation: Although you are old, You are getting older, but your ambition should be stronger. How can you change your mood when you are growing old? Although the situation is difficult, one's integrity should be firmer and one should never abandon one's ambition.