View/Open - University of Victoria
View/Open - University of Victoria
View/Open - University of Victoria
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67<br />
孤 城 落 日 斗 兵 稀<br />
身 当 恩 遇 常 轻 敌<br />
力 尽 关 山 未 解 围<br />
Lone tower, setting sun, fighting soldiers scarce.<br />
When graciously recognized they always look down on<br />
the enemy,<br />
Their strength exhausted, the siege at the mountain pass<br />
still unbroken.<br />
铁 衣 远 戍 辛 勤 久<br />
玉 箸 应 啼 别 离 后<br />
少 妇 城 南 欲 断 肠<br />
征 人 蓟 北 空 回 首<br />
Coats <strong>of</strong> armour stationed far <strong>of</strong>f toiling on and on,<br />
Jade chopsticks 90 answer sobs after departing.<br />
Young wife south <strong>of</strong> the city walls is about to break down,<br />
A soldier on campaign north <strong>of</strong> Ji vainly turns back<br />
his head.<br />
边 庭 飘 飖 那 可 度<br />
绝 域 苍 茫 无 所 有<br />
杀 气 三 时 作 陈 云<br />
寒 声 一 夜 传 刁 斗<br />
Drifting with the wind, how can they cross the frontier,<br />
Far remote region: vast, hazy and full <strong>of</strong> nothing.<br />
Cold killing air 91 three seasons long forms into an array <strong>of</strong><br />
cloud,<br />
Desolate sounds all night long convey the night watch<br />
beat.<br />
相 看 白 刃 血 纷 纷<br />
死 节 从 来 岂 顾 勋<br />
君 不 见 沙 场 征 战 苦<br />
Facing one another white blades drip rivulets <strong>of</strong> blood,<br />
A righteous death, how could they have ever cared<br />
for merits.<br />
Don't you know <strong>of</strong> battlefields, <strong>of</strong> the hardship <strong>of</strong> war?<br />
至 今 犹 忆 李 将 军 To this day one still remembers General Li. 92<br />
90<br />
See earlier footnote where this portion <strong>of</strong> the poem is cited. Another more common interpretation <strong>of</strong> the “jade<br />
chopsticks” is that <strong>of</strong> a twin stream <strong>of</strong> tears. See GSJJZ, p. 82. One such usage <strong>of</strong> this metaphor is found in Li Bai's 李 白<br />
“Boudoir Feelings” (guiqing 闺 情 ): “Regretful that you have left for the flowing sands/Leaving me behind in<br />
Yuyang/Jade chopstick tears flow down all night/twin streams down a lovely woman's face” 恨 君 流 沙 去 , 弃 妾 渔 阳 间 .<br />
玉 箸 夜 垂 流 , 双 双 落 朱 颜 . See QTS 184.1880-1881.<br />
91<br />
Marie Chan translates 杀 气 (shaqi) as “murderous air” . See Marie Chan, Kao Shih, p. 102. My rendering <strong>of</strong> the term<br />
as “cold killing air” is inspired by the Cihai 辞 海 explanation <strong>of</strong> 杀 气 as “ 寒 气 ”(hanqi, cold air) and “ 凶 恶 的 气 氛 ”<br />
(malevolent atmosphere). See Cihai 辞 海 (Zhonghua shuju xiangganfenju 中 华 书 局 香 港 分 局 , 1965), p. 571. The<br />
arctic bite <strong>of</strong> the following line's 寒 声 (hansheng, desolate (cold) sound) seems to build upon the hibernal mood already<br />
established in the preceding parallel slot.<br />
92<br />
Speculation remains rife as to whether the final line is an allusion to Li Guang 李 广 or Li Mu 李 牧 , a skilled general<br />
<strong>of</strong> Zhao 赵 noted for having delivered decisive attacks against the Xiongnu. The Tangyin 唐 音 , a Yuan 元 dynasty<br />
anthology <strong>of</strong> Tang poetry, leaves the question open-ended, stating in the annotation to “Song <strong>of</strong> Yan” that “General Li<br />
and the Zhao general Li Mu both defended the frontier for twenty years during which the Xiongnu did not dare attack”