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person is presented through a sequence of name, exclamatory judgement, position and striking physical
attributes:
94
盖 将 军
真 丈 夫
General Gai
What a man!
行 年 三 十 执 金 吾 At thirty he is Chamberlain for the Imperial Insignia, 213
214
身 长 七 尺 颇 有 须 Seven chi tall with quite a beard. 215
(lines 1-4)
Before entering the lavish party scene where local products are on display, a scene which, through Cen
Shen's poet-narrator's distinct curiosity, is divested of the typically morose sights and feelings of those
serving on the frontier, the dangerous and doleful environs of the exterior world are presented as a foil
to emphasize the ease and jubilation of the army camp's interior:
玉 门 关 城 迥 且 孤
黄 沙 万 里 白
216
草 枯
南 邻 犬 戎 北 接 胡
The citadel of Yumen Pass is far and lone,
Yellow sand ten thousand li, white grass withers.
Adjoining the Rong tribe in the south 217 , neighbouring the
Hu in the north ,
将 军 到 来 备 不 虞 The general arrives, prepared for all contingencies. 218
五 千 甲 兵 胆 力 粗
军 中 无 事 但 欢 乐
Five thousand armoured troops, bold and brawny,
When there are no military disturbances there is only
merriment.
213
Allusion to a Han dynasty position of “a dignitary commanding one of the two large armies that were stationed at the
dynastic capital who was responsible for policing the capital” . See Charles O. Hucker, A Dictionary of Official Titles in
Imperial China, p. 157. “ 金 吾 ”(jinwu) is “traditionally interpreted as a special weapon, or a gold-tipped baton, or the
image of a bird called “jin wu“ that was believed to frighten away evil. From Han on commonly used in reference to
imperial insignia, as in 执 金 吾 (chijinwu)” (Ibid., 168). The term here refers to the Tang post of Imperial Insignia Guard
( 金 吾 卫 ), “a distinguished unit of the imperial bodyguard normally commanded by a General” (Ibid., 168), with the
implication in the poem being that general Gai also held such a post in addition to the aforementioned “Commander of
Hexi” . See CSJJZ, p. 166.
214
CSJJZ, 165. The remaining lines of the poem are all from the same source.
215
Marie Chan, tr., Cen Shen, p. 104. I've modified Chan's translation of 执 金 吾 (“Bearer of the Golden Apotropaion”) to
emphasize the governmental associations. The remaining lines follow Chan's translation, though several changes have
been made on my part.
216
Following the QTS version in this instance; the CSJJZ has 百 in place of 白 .
217
None-Chinese peoples of the western region.
218
Where Chan translates 备 不 虞 as “prepare for sudden dangers”, I've followed a footnote on page 99 of Zhan Hui, ed.,
Cen Shen Biansaishi xuan which explains 备 不 虞 as “ 防 备 意 料 不 到 的 事 情 ”(guard against unexpected matters).