Frontier Song for Zhang: No. 1
Vulture feathers adorn the Jinpugu arrows;
Swallow-tail streamers grace an embroidered Maohu flag.
The commander stands alone and raises a new order;
A thousand camps answer with one shout.
Notes
He means composing in response to another work. Pushe was an official title; Frontier Song is an old Yuefu title. Jinpugu is an arrow name and Maohu a flag name; the latter character has variant readings. “A thousand camps” suggests many troops.
Meaning
The poem presents arrows and a military flag, then a commander’s order answered by a collective shout.
Appreciation
The poem moves from an arrow and flag to a collective response in camp.
Read the full appreciationCollapse
The first two lines name objects whose historical terms need explanation.
One commander’s order contrasts with the many camps answering together.
This is one poem in a group depicting different aspects of military life.
About the poet
Lu Lun, courtesy name Yunyan, was a Tang poet associated with the Ten Talents of the Dali era. Sources differ on his exact dates.
Read about the poetCollapse
Life: Lu served in official posts and wrote about travel, farewells and the frontier.
Works: This is the third poem in his Frontier Songs associated with Zhang Pushe.