Tang poem · seven-character old-style poem唐诗 · 七言古诗

lún轮tái台gē歌fèng奉sòng送fēng封dà大fū夫chū出shī师xī西zhēng征

cén岑shēn参Cen Shen · Tang唐

Song of Luntai, Seeing Off Lord Feng on His Western Campaign

lún轮tái台chéng城tóu头yè夜chuī吹jiǎo角

lún轮tái台chéng城běi北máo旄tóu头luò落

yǔ羽shū书zuó昨yè夜guò过qú渠lí黎

chán单yú于yǐ已zài在jīn金shān山xī西

shù戍lóu楼xī西wàng望yān烟chén尘hēi黑

hàn汉bīng兵tún屯zài在lún轮tái台běi北

shàng上jiàng将yōng拥máo旄xī西chū出zhēng征

píng平míng明chuī吹dí笛dà大jūn军xíng行

sì四biān边fá伐gǔ鼓xuě雪hǎi海yǒng涌

sān三jūn军dà大hū呼yīn阴shān山dòng动

lǔ虏sài塞bīng兵qì气lián连yún云tún屯

zhàn战chǎng场bái白gǔ骨chán缠cǎo草gēn根

jiàn剑hé河fēng风jí急xuě雪piàn片kuò阔

shā沙kǒu口shí石dòng冻mǎ马tí蹄tuō脱

yà亚xiàng相qín勤wáng王gān甘kǔ苦xīn辛

shì誓jiāng将bào报zhǔ主jìng静biān边chén尘

gǔ古lái来qīng青shǐ史shuí谁bú不jiàn见

jīn今jiàn见gōng功míng名shèng胜gǔ古rén人

Underlined words have notes: tap one. The Pinyin button below shows or hides all pinyin. 一 and 不 are marked with the tone you actually say.字下有虚线的，点开有注释。下方的“拼音”按钮可以显示或隐藏全部拼音。“一”“不”标的是实际读出来的变调。

The old edition writes jiàn, "sword", in a variant form; common editions use the standard character.

古籍本作“劒河”，“劒”是“剑”的异体字，通行本作“剑河”。

Line by line逐句翻译

轮台城头夜吹角At night, horns sound on the walls of Luntai;夜里，轮台城头吹起了号角，
轮台城北旄头落north of Luntai, the Pleiades sink from the sky.轮台城北，旄头星落了下去。
羽书昨夜过渠黎Last night an urgent dispatch passed through Quli:昨夜紧急军书经过了渠黎，
单于已在金山西the enemy chief is already west of the Golden Mountains.说敌军首领已经到了金山西边。
戍楼西望烟尘黑From the watchtower, looking west, the smoke and dust are black;从瞭望楼往西看，烟尘滚滚一片乌黑，
汉兵屯在轮台北the army is camped north of Luntai.唐军就驻扎在轮台北边。
上将拥旄西出征The commander, holding his banner, marches west;主帅手持旄节，向西出征，
平明吹笛大军行at dawn the flutes play and the great army moves out.天刚亮就吹起笛子，大军出发。
四边伐鼓雪海涌On every side drums thunder, and the Snow Sea seems to surge;四面擂起战鼓，雪海好像翻起了波浪，
三军大呼阴山动the whole army roars, and the Yin Mountains shake.全军一齐呐喊，阴山都被震动了。
虏塞兵气连云屯Over the enemy's fortress, the air of war masses with the clouds;敌人营寨上空的杀气，和云连在一起，
战场白骨缠草根on the battlefield, white bones are tangled in grass roots.战场上的白骨，缠着草根。
剑河风急雪片阔By the Sword River the wind is fierce and the snowflakes are broad;剑河边风很急，雪片又大又宽，
沙口石冻马蹄脱in the desert pass the stones are frozen, and the horses' hooves wear away.沙漠山口的石头冻硬了，马蹄都磨掉了。
亚相勤王甘苦辛Lord Feng serves the throne and gladly bears hardship;封大夫为朝廷尽力，甘愿吃苦，
誓将报主静边尘he vows to repay his ruler and bring peace to the border.发誓要报答君主，平定边疆。
古来青史谁不见Who has not read of the heroes in history books?自古以来，史书上的英雄谁没见过？
今见功名胜古人Now I see your deeds will surpass those of old.如今看来，您的功名要超过古人。

Words字词注释

轮台lún tái: lún tái: Luntai, a Tang town in today's Xinjiang, under the Beiting command.轮台：唐代的一座城，在今新疆境内，是北庭都护府管辖的地方。
角jiǎo: jiǎo: a horn blown in the army to mark the hours and give orders.角：号角，军队里吹的乐器，用来报时、发号令。
旄头落máo tóu luò: máo tóu luò: máo tóu is the star cluster we call the Pleiades. People of old thought it stood for the northern tribes, so its setting was a sign they would be defeated.旄头落：旄头是星名，就是昴星。古人认为它代表胡人，它落下是胡人要打败仗的预兆。
羽书yǔ shū: yǔ shū: an urgent military dispatch with a feather stuck in it.羽书：插着鸟羽的紧急军事文书。
渠黎qú lí: qú lí: Quli, a state in the Western Regions in Han times, around today's Luntai County in Xinjiang.渠黎：汉代西域的国名，在今新疆轮台县一带。
单于chán yú: chán yú: the title of the Xiongnu ruler, here meaning the enemy chief.单于：匈奴首领的称号，这里指敌军首领。
金山jīn shān: jīn shān: the Golden Mountains, usually taken to be today's Altai Mountains.金山：一般认为是今天的阿尔泰山。
戍楼shù lóu: shù lóu: a watchtower of the border guard.戍楼：守边部队的瞭望楼。
烟尘黑yān chén hēi: yān chén hēi: smoke and dust kicked up by horses, a dark cloud, showing the enemy is coming in force.烟尘黑：战火的烟和马蹄扬起的尘土，黑压压一片，说明敌军来势很猛。
汉兵hàn bīng: hàn bīng: Han soldiers, meaning the Tang army. Tang poems often say Han for Tang.汉兵：唐朝的军队。唐诗里常借汉代唐。
屯tún: tún: to camp, to be stationed.屯：驻扎。
上将shàng jiàng: shàng jiàng: the commander, Lord Feng, that is Feng Changqing.上将：主帅，指封大夫封常清。
拥旄yōng máo: yōng máo: holding the yak-tail banner, given by the emperor to a general as a sign of his power to command.拥旄：拿着旄节。旄节是皇帝给大将的一种用牦牛尾装饰的信物，表示有指挥大军的权力。
平明píng míng: píng míng: at dawn.平明：天刚亮。
伐鼓fá gǔ: fá gǔ: to beat the drums.伐鼓：擂鼓、敲鼓。
雪海xuě hǎi: xuě hǎi: the Snow Sea. One view is that it is a place name near the Tianshan Mountains; it can also mean wide fields of snow like a sea.雪海：一说是天山一带的地名；也可以理解为大片的积雪像海一样。
三军sān jūn: sān jūn: the whole army.三军：全军。
阴山yīn shān: yīn shān: here the great mountains of the northwest in general; one view says the Tianshan.阴山：这里泛指西北边地的大山，一说指天山。
虏塞lǔ sài: lǔ sài: the enemy's fortress. Lǔ was an insulting old word for enemies.虏塞：敌人的营寨。虏，古时对敌人的蔑称。
兵气bīng qì: bīng qì: the air of war, the feel of slaughter.兵气：战争的杀气。
缠草根chán cǎo gēn: chán cǎo gēn: tangled in grass roots. White bones mixed with roots show how many have died here.缠草根：白骨和草根缠在一起，说明这里死过很多人。
剑河jiàn hé: jiàn hé: the Sword River, a river in the far northwest.剑河：西北边地的河名。
沙口shā kǒu: shā kǒu: a pass through the desert.沙口：沙漠中的山口、路口。
马蹄脱mǎ tí tuō: mǎ tí tuō: the stones are frozen so hard that the horses' hooves wear away.马蹄脱：石头冻得又冷又硬，马蹄都被磨掉了。
亚相yà xiàng: yà xiàng: deputy chancellor, another name for the censor-in-chief, second only to the chancellor. Feng Changqing held this post, which is why he is called Lord Feng.亚相：御史大夫的别称，地位仅次于宰相。封常清当时兼任御史大夫，所以也称“封大夫”。
勤王qín wáng: qín wáng: to work hard for the throne.勤王：为朝廷尽力。
甘苦辛gān kǔ xīn: gān kǔ xīn: willing to suffer hardship.甘苦辛：甘愿吃苦。
静边尘jìng biān chén: jìng biān chén: to settle the dust of war on the border.静边尘：平息边境的战乱。
青史qīng shǐ: qīng shǐ: history books. In ancient times records were written on green bamboo slips.青史：史书。古代在青色的竹简上写字记事。
胜shèng: shèng: to surpass.胜：超过。

How to read it读音

单chán: In chán yú, the title of the Xiongnu ruler, this is read chán, not dān.单于：匈奴首领的称号，读 chán yú，不读 dān。
角jiǎo: Here it is a military horn, read jiǎo.角：军中吹的号角，读 jiǎo。
相xiàng: In yà xiàng, an official title, this is read xiàng.亚相：官名，相读 xiàng。
塞sài: In lǔ sài, the enemy's frontier, this is read sài.虏塞：敌人的边塞，塞读 sài。

Background创作背景

In Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao years, Feng Changqing was military governor of the northwest frontier, and also held the title of censor-in-chief. Cen Shen had come to the frontier for the second time and served under him as an assistant officer. It is usually said that in 754 Feng Changqing led his troops west, and Cen Shen wrote this poem to see him off. For the same campaign he also wrote "Song of Zouma River".

唐玄宗天宝年间，封常清担任北庭都护、伊西节度使，就是管理西北边疆的军事长官，同时兼任御史大夫。岑参这时第二次来到边塞，在封常清手下做判官，也就是帮主帅处理事务的官员。一般认为天宝十三载（754年）封常清带兵西征，岑参写了这首诗送行。同一件事，他还写了《走马川行奉送出师西征》。

The poet作者

Cen Shen (about 715–770) was a Tang poet. He lived for years on the northwest frontier on two tours, and saw deserts, snowy mountains and battlefields with his own eyes. That is why his frontier poems are so vivid and strange. He is named together with Gao Shi as the leading poets of the frontier.

岑参（约715—770），唐代诗人。他两次到西北边塞生活了好几年，亲眼见过大漠、雪山和战场，所以他的边塞诗写得特别真实、奇特。他和高适齐名，人们并称“高岑”，是唐代边塞诗派的代表。

The mood意境

This poem is like a war film. It opens at night: horns sound, stars set, an urgent message arrives, the enemy draws near, and dust rolls in the west. The tension rises at once. Then dawn comes. The commander sets out under his banner, drums sound on all sides, and the shouting shakes the sky, so that the Snow Sea seems to churn and the mountains to tremble. Next the camera turns to the battlefield. The air of war joins the clouds, white bones tangle in grass roots, the wind is fierce, the snow heavy, and the frozen stones wear away the horses' hooves. The harsher the land, the braver the soldiers seem. The last lines praise Lord Feng for bearing hardship to serve his country, and say his deeds will surpass the heroes of old. The rhyme changes every two lines, so the rhythm is quick and urgent, like war drums.

这首诗像一部战争电影。开头是夜里：号角响起，星星落下，紧急军书送到，敌人逼近，西边烟尘滚滚。气氛一下子紧张起来。接着天亮了，主帅举着旗出发，鼓声四起，喊声震天，连雪海都像在翻腾，大山都在摇动。然后镜头转向战场：杀气连着天上的云，白骨缠着草根，风急雪大，石头冻得马蹄都磨掉了。环境越险恶，越显出将士的勇敢。最后几句赞美封大夫不怕苦，一心报国，功劳会超过古人。全诗两句一换韵，节奏又快又急，像战鼓一样。