View/Open - University of Victoria

236
早 发 焉 耆 怀 终 南 别 业
Setting Off Early from Yanqi and Thinking of my Villa
at Zhongnan Mountain 41
晓 笛 引 乡 泪
Dawn flutes draw out tears of homesickness,
秋 冰 鸣 马 蹄
Autumn ice cries under horse hooves.
一 身 虏 云 外 I am alone beyond the Lu clouds 42 ,
万 里 胡 天 西 Ten thousand li west of the Hu sky. 43
终 日 见 征 战
All day I see armies set out on campaigns,
连 年 闻 鼓 鼙
Year after year hear battle drums.
故 山 在 何 处 Where is my dear old mountain; 44
45
昨 日 梦 清 溪 Last night I dreamt of its clear streams.
41 Yanqi 焉 耆 was a garrison town under the jurisdiction of the Anxi Commandery located southwest of modern day Yanqi.
See CSJJZ, p. 86. Cen Shen's Zhongnan mountain villa was located on the outskirts of Chang'an, and was a place of
reclusion for the poet when out of office. See Marie Chan, Cen Shen, p. 24.
42 The frontier clouds.
43 The frontier sky.
44 Meaning home/hometown (jiaxiang 家 乡 ).
45 CSJJZ, p. 85.