For years, to guard the Jade Pass and the River of Gold,
With our hands on our horse-whips and our sword-hilts,
We have watched the green graves change to snow
And the Yell ow Stream ring the Black Mountain forever.
Original Poem:
「征人怨」
柳中庸
岁岁金河复玉关，朝朝马策与刀环。
三春白雪归青冢，万里黄河绕黑山。
Interpretation:
This is a widely circulated poem about the border fortress. Due to the weakening of the state in the Late Tang Dynasty, the border poems mostly talk about the pain of military service, and this poem reflects the misery and helplessness of some professional soldiers in their long military life.
The names of the two places in the border area which are very far away from each other and the two pairs of things which are accompanied by them all day long have not only written out the hard work of the military life of fighting in the north and the south, but also its monotony and tediousness, so that the hard work and monotony of the military life are naturally expressed from the meaning of the words.
The last two lines, on the one hand, write about the anomaly of the season where these soldiers are located, and also the geography of the place where they are located. Legend has it that the grass is white outside of the Seychelles, but Wang Zhaojun’s wish to return to her hometown was not realized in her lifetime, and she did not forget her hometown after her death, so the grass on her mound is green. This poem obviously contains the idea that these soldiers are unwilling to be like Wang Zhaojun, and are also afraid that they will not be able to return home like Wang Zhaojun.
This poem not only has a neat counterpoint, but also has a magnificent language. Not only do the first two lines and the last two lines match each other, but also the upper and lower lines match each other. The use of language pays attention to the use of eye-catching words, but also pays attention to the harmony and naturalness of the tone.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
About the poet:
Liu Zhongyong (柳中庸) was a native of Yongji, Shanxi. He lived from about the time of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang to Emperor Daizong of Tang, and served as a Household Cao of Hongfu. He and his brother, Liu Zhongxing, were both famous for their literature. Xiao Yingshi loved his talent and took his daughter as his wife. He was good at writing poems about women’s grievances and the border areas.
