This poem references the experience of being posted in a frontier fortress along the Xiaoguan Pass. The poet makes allusions to the battles of the Three Kingdoms by mentioning You(zhou) and Bing(zhou), and the countless lives lost on the battlefield.
Translation
By Wang Changling (690?-757?) | 王昌齡 |
Frontier Song I | 塞上曲 |
Cicadas sing in the barren mulberry grove | 蟬鳴 空桑林 |
August is desolate in the Xiaoguan Pass | 八月 蕭關道 |
I leave the fortress and return, entering the fortress | 出塞 復入塞 |
Everywhere is yellow grass and reeds | 處處 黃蘆草 |
Remnants of the You and Bing | 從來 幽并客 |
All toward the battlefield, and all expired: | 皆向 沙場 老 |
Don’t learn from the roaming knights | 莫學 遊俠兒 |
And their boasts of splendid steeds | 矜誇 紫騮好 |
Notes:
1. 6th verse, ancient Chinese try to avoid using the word “die/death,” so they use the implicit word, “old”.
2. 7th verse (Mò xué yóu xiá er), here yóu xiá er is a metaphor of willful people who think they’re brave, and they don’t value their lives.
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
王昌齡 | 王昌龄 | Wáng Chāng Líng |
塞上曲 | 塞上曲 | Sài shàng qǔ |
蟬鳴空桑林， | 蝉鸣空桑林， | Chán míng kōng sāng lín, |
八月蕭關道； | 八月萧关道; | Bā yuè xiāo guān dào; |
出塞復入塞， | 出塞复入塞， | Chū sài fù rù sài, |
處處黃蘆草。 | 处处黄芦草。 | Chù chù huáng lú cǎo. |
從來幽并客， | 从来幽并客， | Cóng lái yōu bìng kè, |
皆向沙場老； | 皆向沙场老; | Jiē xiàng shā chǎng lǎo; |
莫學遊俠兒， | 莫学游侠儿， | Mò xué yóu xiá er, |
矜誇紫騮好。 | 矜夸紫骝好。 | Jīn kuā zǐ liú hǎo. |
Literal Notes
王昌齡 | King Prosperous Age =Wang Changling(690?-757?) |
塞上曲 | Strategic-pass/stronghold on/top tune |
蟬鳴空桑林， | Cicada cry empty/vacant mulberry woods/forest [empty/vacant = because the leaves are all fallen] |
八月蕭關道； | Eight month desolate mountain-pass way/road [desolate mountain-pass= Xiaoguan, a place name, near Guyuan, Ningxia Province. ] |
出塞復入塞， | Out Strategic-pass/stronghold again enter Strategic-pass/stronghold |
處處黃蘆草。 | Place place yellow reed grass [place place = everywhere], [reed grass=reeds] |
從來幽并客， | From come silent and guest [silent and= You and Bing, 2 place names, Youzhou and Bingzhou, now they’re a part of Hebei, Shan’xi, and Shaan’xi. |
皆向沙場老； | All towards sand field old [sand field = battle field] |
莫學遊俠兒， | Don’t learn travel heroic/errant-knight kid/son |
矜誇紫騮好。 | Boast praise/boast purple bay-horse good |
[purple bay-horse = steed ] |
Notes and character tables prepared with the assistance of Liane Rui of Shanghai, China.
Year:
2012
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