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火 山 云 歌 送 别
Parting: Song of Fire Mountain Clouds
火 山 突 兀 赤 亭 口 Fire Mountain towers over the entrance to Chiting, 8
火 山 五 月 火 云 厚 Fire Mountain in the fifth month, fire clouds are thick.
火 云 满 山 凝 未 开
飞 鸟 千 里 不 敢 来
平 明 乍 逐 胡 风 断
薄 暮 浑 随 塞 雨 回
缭 绕 斜 吞 铁 关 树
氛 氲 半 掩 交 河 戍
迢 迢 征 路 火 山 东
10
山 上 孤 云 随 马 去
Fire clouds fill the mountain, dense they do not break;
Flying birds within a thousand li do not dare come by.
At daybreak the clouds are suddenly dispersed, severed
by Hu winds;
Near dusk they return accompanying the frontier rain.
Curling, coiling and all aslant they swallow the trees
at Metal Pass, 9
A hazy mist half covering the garrison barracks
at Jiaohe.
The journey's road leads far away to the east of
Fire Mountain,
Above the mountain a single cloud follows the departing
horse.
8
Refers to an area south-west of modern day Hami county 哈 密 县 , the location in Tang times of the Chiting ( 赤 亭 ,
literally “vermilion pavilion”) Defence Detachment (shouzhuo 守 捉 ), “an early T'ang generic term for military units
along the northern frontier too small to be considered armies (jun 军 ), each commanded by a Commissioner (shi 使 ).
See Charles O. Hucker, A Dictionary of Official Titles in Imperial China, p. 432). See also p. 93 of the CSJJZ for
background to Chiting.
9
Located between Yanqi 焉 耆 and Kuerle 库 尔 勒 , Xinjiang Autonomous Region.
10
CSJJZ, p. 171.