Frontier Song for Zhang: No. 2
The woods are dark; wind startles the grass.
At night the general draws his bow.
At daybreak he searches for the white-feathered arrow:
It has sunk into the edge of a stone.
Notes
Pingming means daybreak. White feathers stand for the arrow; mo means to sink into. The poem is often connected with the story of Li Guang shooting a stone, and the image uses poetic exaggeration.
Meaning
In a dark wood the general draws his bow; at daybreak the arrow is found embedded in a stone’s edge.
Appreciation
The poem separates a nighttime action from a discovery at daybreak.
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It names the drawn bow but leaves the release of the arrow implicit.
Finding the arrow in stone creates a dramatic, exaggerated conclusion.
The tale of Li Guang provides context, while the poem itself selects only a few moments.
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.
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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.