A Song of the Frontier
We water the horses and cross autumn water;
The water is cold, the wind like a blade.
The sun has not yet set over the level sands;
Dimly, Lintao comes into view.
In former battles along the Great Wall,
All spoke of high spirits and courage.
Yellow dust has filled both past and present;
White bones lie scattered among the weeds.
Notes
To water the horses uses yin in its causative reading. Lintao is an ancient place name with differing identifications. The Great Wall recalls earlier frontier wars; the closing contrasts heroic speech with dust and bones among weeds.
Meaning
The speaker crosses cold water, sees the frontier and recalls earlier wars, ending with dust and bones among the weeds.
Appreciation
Cold water and cutting wind make the frontier tangible.
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The dim view of Lintao carries the gaze into the distance.
Past accounts of courage give way to dust and bones.
The dust stretching across time suggests consequences beyond one battle.
About the poet
Wang Changling, courtesy name Shaobo, was a Tang poet known for seven-character quatrains on frontier life, farewells and friendship. His exact dates are disputed.
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Life: Wang served in official posts and spent time away from the capital; sources differ on his exact dates.
Works: Beyond the Frontier and Farewell to Xin Jian at Hibiscus Tower are among his best-known poems.