The woods are black and a wind assails the grasses,
Yet the general tries night archery --
And next morning he finds his white-plumed arrow
Pointed deep in the hard rock.
Original Poem:
「塞下曲 · 其二」
卢纶
林暗草惊风， 将军夜引弓。
平明寻白羽， 没在石棱中。
Interpretation:
This is the second poem of the group, writing about the general hunting at night.
The first two lines: the darkness in the forest and the wind blowing the grass are frightening, and the general shows his bravery in the night with an arrow and a bow.
At that time, it was already late in the day, a gust of wind blew, and the grass and trees were covered. This not only explains the time and place, but also creates an atmosphere. Right Beiping is a tiger area, deep forests are tigers in and out of the place, and tigers more after dusk, the dim wind in the forest is naturally associated with one of the tiger, rendering a tense atmosphere.
The last two lines: dawn to look for the white-feathered arrow shot last night, the arrowhead is deeply inserted into a huge stone.
The next morning the general searched for prey, found that the arrow is not a tiger, but squatting stone, people read, began to be amazed, and contempt, the original arrow shaft tail mounted with a white feather arrow, even shot into the stone. This writing is not only more twists and turns, time, scene changes, and rich in drama.
The poem is concise and shows the general's bravery through this typical plot.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
About the poet:
Lu Lun (卢纶), 748 - 798 A.D., was a native of Yongji, Shanxi Province, and was one of the "Ten Scholarly Men of the Dali Dynasty". Lu Lun was a judge of the Marshal's Office in Hezhong, and he served as the inspector of the Ministry of Revenue. His poems were more eloquent and liberal, with many works of farewells and rewards, as well as works reflecting the life of soldiers. Five volumes of his poems are recorded in Quan Tang Shi (All Tang Poems).
