Let feasting begin in the wild camp!
Let bugles cry our victory!
Let us drink, let us dance in our golden armour!
Let us thunder on rivers and hills with our drums!
Original Poem:
「塞下曲 · 其四」
卢纶
野幕蔽琼筵， 羌戎贺劳旋。
醉和金甲舞， 雷鼓动山川。
Interpretation:
This is the fourth poem of the group, writing about the general’s triumph and being congratulated, and depicting the scene of celebrating the victory. The grand feast, the congratulations of the foreigners, the drunken dance and the thumping drums form a vivid picture.
In the field, a victory feast was set up, and Qiangrong brothers came to celebrate their triumph. The general is not only brave but also virtuous.
The third line is about the general’s joy. In the fourth line, a lively scene is written. The third and fourth lines are about the drunken dance of the general in gold armor, and the sound of the drums shook the mountains and rivers.
The whole poem is written in a generous, heroic, bright and cheerful manner, which is very encouraging. Lu Lun’s “Border-songs” group of poems, lofty, loud, like a war song, read to invigorate people’s spirits; word condensation sentence refinement, in the border poetry to open up a world.
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).
