They sing, they drain their cups of jade,
They strum on horseback their guitars.
...Why laugh when they fall asleep drunk on the sand ? --
How many soldiers ever come home?
Original Poem:
「凉州词」
王昌龄
葡萄美酒夜光杯， 欲饮琵琶马上催。
醉卧沙场君莫笑， 古来征战几人回。
Interpretation:
Wang Han was a bold and generous person who loved to indulge in drinking and fun when he was not able to realize his talent, and this poem reflects this character of the author. In this poem, the poet intercepted a fragment of military life, describing the scene of banquet and drinking in the army.
In the first two lines, the luminescent cups at the banquet are filled with sweet grape wine, and when they are about to drink freely, the lute sounds on the horse, as if urging people to go to war.
Use very rich in local color to accentuate the atmosphere of the military banquet, “grape wine” refers to the grape wine from Xinjiang; “Luminous Cup” refers to the wine cup made of the finest white jade. Legend has it that when King Mu of the Zhou Dynasty, the western region had offered the luminescent cup, which can light up the night; “pipa” was originally a musical instrument of the northern ethnic minorities. All of this shows the excitement and joy of the soldiers at the border in a rare banquet. Why did the author make such a big fuss about the bustle and joy of the banquet in the army?
The last two lines: If drunkenly lying on the sands, please don’t laugh, how many people can return home after going out to fight in the ancient times?
After that, in such a lively and joyful scene, what are the feasting people thinking about? If I get drunk and lie down on the battlefield, don’t make fun of me, I have already put my life and death aside, I just want to have a good time. For how many of those who have gone to war from ancient times have come back alive?
The meaning of this poem is complex and multi-layered. It is saddening and joyful, seemingly sentimental and open-minded, harmonic and sad.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
About the poet:
Wang Han (王翰) was a native of Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. He was admitted as a scholar in 710 AD. He was known for his unrestrained talent and his boldness, and his poems were full of magnificent words. He was known for his boldness, and his poems were full of magnificent words. The scribes Zu Yong and Du Hua were his companions. He had a high reputation at that time.
