<Header>
<Author: 岑參>
<Title: 走馬川行奉送出師西征>
<Format: 格式不明>
<Year: 2000>
<BookName: THE SHORTER Columbia Anthology of Traditional Chinese Literature>
<Translator: Victor H. Mair>
<TranslatedTitle: A Song of the Running Horse River: Presented on Saying Farewell to the Army Going on Campaign to the West>
<BookPage: 101-102>
<UsedPage: 2>
<Feature: 4>
<End Header>
<Poem>
君不見走馬川行雪海邊，
平沙莽莽黃入天。
輪臺九月風夜吼，
一川碎石大如斗，
隨風滿地石亂走。
匈奴草黃馬正肥，
金山西見煙塵飛。
漢家大將西出師，
將軍金甲夜不脫。
半夜軍行戈相撥，
風頭如刀面如割。
馬毛帶雪汗氣蒸，
五花連錢旋作冰。
幕中草檄硯水凝，
虜騎聞之應膽懾。
料知短兵不敢接，
車師西門佇獻捷。
<End Poem>
<Translation>
Don't you see how the Running Horse River flows along the edge of the Sea of Snow,
Where vast and wild the brown of level sands reaches to the sky?

The wind howls at night in the ninth month over Lun-t'ai,
And a river full of broken boulders big as bushel baskets
Covers the earth with careening stones blown before the wind.

The Hsiung-nu grass turns yellow now, their horses fit and plump;
West of the Altai Range we see the dust of rebellion fly;
A general of the House of Han campaigns in the distant west.

The general leaves his iron armor on throughout the night;
Troops move out at midnight to the sound of rattling halberds—
The wind cuts like a knifeblade, faces feel the slash.

Snow clings to the horses' coats, their sweat ascends in steam,
Only to turn to ice again on dappled and piebald backs;
Urgent dispatches are drafted in tents, the ink congeals on the stone.

When the Hunnish horsemen hear, their hearts will tremble within;
We know they will not dare to cross their swords and spears with ours:
At the west gate of Chu-shih camp we await the display of your spoils.
<End Translation>