Look how swift to the snowy sea races Running-Horse River! --
And sand, up from the desert, flies yellow into heaven.
This Ninth-month night is blowing cold at Wheel Tower,
And valleys, like peck measures, fill with the broken boulders
That downward, headlong, follow the wind.
...In spite of grey grasses, Tartar horses are plump;
West of the Hill of Gold, smoke and dust gather.
O General of the Chinese troops, start your campaign!
Keep your iron armour on all night long,
Send your soldiers forward with a clattering of weapons!
...While the sharp wind's point cuts the face like a knife,
And snowy sweat steams on the horses' backs,
Freezing a pattern of five-flower coins,
Your challenge from camp, from an inkstand of ice,
Has chilled the barbarian chieftain's heart.
You will have no more need of an actual battle! --
We await the news of victory, here at the western pass!
Original Poem:
「走马川行奉送封大夫出师西征」
岑参
君不见走马川行雪海边， 平沙莽莽黄入天。
轮台九月风夜吼， 一川碎石大如斗，随风满地石乱走。
匈奴草黄马正肥，金山西见烟尘飞， 汉家大将西出师。
将军金甲夜不脱， 半夜军行戈相拨，风头如刀面如割。
马毛带雪汗气蒸，五花连钱旋作冰， 幕中草檄砚水凝。
虏骑闻之应胆慑， 料知短兵不敢接，车师西门伫献捷。
Interpretation:
This is the poet’s second time out of the fortress, the section minister Feng Changqing led the troops to go on the expedition, he wrote this poem for his courage. In the poem, the poet strongly depicts the harsh and difficult environment of the Jomajuan River generation, which sets off the valor of the soldiers and wishes them a final victory in the expedition. The whole poem is bold, with a rapid and powerful rhythm, and the lines are as flowing and turbulent as a marching song, and as bold and optimistic as a marching song. With its majestic mood and magical imagery, the poem is a masterpiece of Cen Shen’s Border Poetry.
The poet used heavy ink to render the harsh environment of the border, and the wind filled with stones is a true depiction of the desert wind. Then he writes about the invasion of Xiong Nu on the occasion of the yellow grass and strong horses, and General Feng led the army to go on the expedition despite the cold weather and the freezing ground. First write the smoke and dust, and then see the general, people have not yet arrived, but the sound has been out, like the background of the stage, with the sound and power before the appearance of the Tang Dynasty army rendered the majesty and justice, there is a sense of pre-eminence.
The next five lines describe the cruelty and hardship of the war, and glorify the courage and loyalty of the generals who serve the country.
Then write the environment of the sinister, and at the same time implied the army marching at night, people seem to see the Tang army against the biting wind, horses and men miscellaneous, three military, all forward of the military might.
Following the harshness of the desert wind and frost, and then describe the terrible cold, sweat evaporates the snowflakes on the horse hair, but the sweat is quickly condensed into ice hanging on the horse skin. Outside the tent bitter cold so, the tent writing ink in the ink stone also quickly solidified into ice.
Finally, I wrote that the enemy army was scared and wished Dr. Feng a triumphant and glorious return, with the previous Tang army’s majestic military might, General Feng’s victory is also a natural thing.
The whole poem is bold in style, sincere in feeling, and truly touching. The whole poem is in rhyme, with three lines and a turn, the rhythm is eager and powerful, exciting and majestic, overflowing with optimistic romantic spirit.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
About the poet:
Cen Shen(岑参), 715-770 AD, was a native of Jingzhou, Hubei Province. He studied at Mt. Songshan when he was young, and later traveled to Beijing, Luoyang and Shuohe. Cen Shen was famous for his border poems, in which he wrote about the border scenery and the life of generals in a majestic and unrestrained manner, and together with Gao Shi, he was an outstanding representative of the border poetry school of the Sheng Tang Dynasty.
