This constellation, with its seven high stars,
Is Ge Shu lifting his sword in the night:
And no more barbarians, nor their horses, nor cattle,
Dare ford the river boundary.
Original Poem:
「哥舒歌」
西鄙人
北斗七星高， 哥舒夜带刀。
至今窥牧马， 不敢过临洮。
Interpretation:
Goshuhan, a Turkic, was originally a subordinate of the famous general Wang Zhongshi. Since Goshu Han repelled the Tubo invasion for many times, “Tubo dared not come near the Qinghai Sea.” Therefore, there was a folk song saying “The seven stars of the Big Dipper are high, and Goshu carries a sword at night. The Tubo always kills but builds two more walls”.
The poem uses the seven stars of the Big Dipper to express the prestige of Goshu Han and the admiration of the people on the border. When describing the bravery of Goshu Han, the author did not write the specifics of his battle, but from the side of the Dipper seven stars hanging high, Goshu Han late at night holding the sword or marching or checking the enemy situation to set off the image of an outstanding, mighty and brave general. This is a very successful artistic technique, just like the use of “coil horse bending bow” to show a person’s martial arts as effective. The meaning of “Tubo crosses the border to graze his cattle” refers to Tubo’s intrusive activities. These two lines depict the deterrent effect of Goshuhan’s arrival at the border on Tubo, who had been struck by Goshuhan many times and did not dare to intrude on the border again.
Although this poem has been processed by the author, its simple and natural, bright and subtle style still has a strong folk song flavor.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
