<Header>
<Author: 高適>
<Title: 燕歌行>
<Format: 七言古詩>
<Year: 1987>
<BookName: 300 Tang Poems: A New Translation>
<Translator: 許淵冲, 陸佩弦, 吳鈞陶>
<TranslatedTitle: Song of the Northern Frontier>
<BookPage: 135-136>
<UsedPage: 2>
<Feature: 1>
<End Header>
<Poem>
漢家煙塵在東北，
漢將辭家破殘賊。
男兒本自重橫行，
天子非常賜顏色。
摐金伐鼓下榆關，
旌旆逶迤碣石間。
校尉羽書飛瀚海，
單于獵火照狼山。
山川蕭條極邊土，
胡騎憑陵雜風雨。
戰士軍前半死生，
美人帳下猶歌舞。
大漠窮秋塞草腓，
孤城落日鬥兵稀。
身當恩遇恆輕敵，
力盡關山未解圍。
鐵衣遠戍辛勤久，
玉箸應啼別離後。
少婦城南欲斷腸，
征人薊北空回首。
邊庭飄颻那可度，
絕域蒼茫更何有。
殺氣三時作陣雲，
寒聲一夜傳刁斗。
相看白刃血紛紛，
死節從來豈顧勳。
君不見沙場征戰苦，
至今猶憶李將軍。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
A cloud of smoke and dust spreads o'er northeast frontier,
To fight the remnant foe, our generals leave the rear.
Brave men should go no matter where beneath the sky,
The Son of Heaven bestows them his favor high.
To the beat of drum and gong through the Elm Pass they go,
Round Mount Stone Tablet flags serpentine row on row.
But urgent despatches speed o'er the Sea of Sand:
Mount Wolf aflame with fires set by the Tartar band.
Both hills and streams are desolate on border plain,
The Tartar horsemen flurry like the wind and rain.
Half of our warriors lie killed on the battleground
While pretty girls in the camp sing and dance their round.
Grass withers in the desert as autumn is late,
At sunset few men guard the lonely city gate.
Imperial favor makes them hold the foemen light,
Their town is under siege though they've fought with their might.
In coats of mail, they've served so long on the frontiers,
Since they left home, their wives have shed streams of impearled tears.
In southern towns the women weep with broken heart,
In vain the men look southward, still they're far apart.
The northern front at stake, how can they go away?
On borders vast and desolate, how can they stay?
All day a cloud of slaughter mounts now and again,
All night the boom of gong is heard to chill the plain.
Each sees the other's sword blood-stained in the hard strife.
Will they care for reward when they give up their life?
                Do you not know
The bitterness of fighting with the foe?
Can you forget General Li sharing their weal and woe?
<End Translation>
<Formatted Translation>
A cloud of smoke and dust spreads o'er northeast frontier,
To fight the remnant foe, our generals leave the rear.
Brave men should go no matter where beneath the sky,
The Son of Heaven bestows them his favor high.
To the beat of drum and gong through the Elm Pass they go,
Round Mount Stone Tablet flags serpentine row on row.
But urgent despatches speed o'er the Sea of Sand:
Mount Wolf aflame with fires set by the Tartar band.
Both hills and streams are desolate on border plain,
The Tartar horsemen flurry like the wind and rain.
Half of our warriors lie killed on the battleground
While pretty girls in the camp sing and dance their round.
Grass withers in the desert as autumn is late,
At sunset few men guard the lonely city gate.
Imperial favor makes them hold the foemen light,
Their town is under siege though they've fought with their might.
In coats of mail, they've served so long on the frontiers,
Since they left home, their wives have shed streams of impearled tears.
In southern towns the women weep with broken heart,
In vain the men look southward, still they're far apart.
The northern front at stake, how can they go away?
On borders vast and desolate, how can they stay?
All day a cloud of slaughter mounts now and again,
All night the boom of gong is heard to chill the plain.
Each sees the other's sword blood-stained in the hard strife.
Will they care for reward when they give up their life?
Do you not know The bitterness of fighting with the foe?
Can you forget General Li sharing their weal and woe?
<End Formatted Translation>