<Header>
<Author: 王昌齡>
<Title: 塞下曲四首 二>
<Format: 五言律詩>
<Year: 1987>
<BookName: 300 Tang Poems: A New Translation>
<Translator: 許淵冲, 陸佩弦, 吳鈞陶>
<TranslatedTitle: A Frontier Song>
<BookPage: 46>
<UsedPage: 1>
<Feature: 4>
<End Header>
<Poem>
飲馬渡秋水，
水寒風似刀。
平沙日未沒，
黯黯見臨洮。
昔日長城戰，
咸言意氣高。
黃塵足今古，
白骨亂蓬蒿。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
I water my horse while crossing the autumn river,
The water is cold and the wind like a sword piercing.
The setting sun over the sandy plains lingers,
In the gathering darkness I see Lintao looming.

In days of yore battles were waged by the Great Wall;
What heroic deeds they were, all people say.
History, however, is buried in the yellow sands,
Scattered among the weeds nothing remains but bones grey.
<End Translation>