Song of Luntai: Seeing Off Lord Feng on the Western Campaign
English translation and interpretation are being reviewed.
轮台城北旄头落。
羽书昨夜过渠黎，
单于已在金山西。
戍楼西望烟尘黑，
汉军屯在轮台北。
上将拥旄西出征，
平明吹笛大军行。
四边伐鼓雪海涌，
三军大呼阴山动。
虏塞兵气连云屯，
战场白骨缠草根。
剑河风急雪片阔，
沙口石冻马蹄脱。
亚相勤王甘苦辛，
誓将报主静边尘。
古来青史谁不见，
今见功名胜古人。
English translation
On the walls of Luntai the horn sounds at night, north of Luntai the Mao star has set.
The feathered dispatch crossed Quli last night, the Chanyu is already west of the Golden Mountain.
From the watchtower gazing west, the smoke and dust are black, the Han army is encamped north of Luntai.
The high general, bearing his standard, marches west, at daybreak the flutes sound and the great army moves.
On every side the war drums beat, the Snow Sea surges, the three armies shout aloud and the Yin Mountains shake.
Over the Tartar forts the air of war masses with the clouds, on the battlefield white bones are tangled in the grass roots.
At Jian River the wind is fierce, the snowflakes broad, at the sandy ford the stones are frozen, the horses' hooves come off.
The vice-premier, tireless in his sovereign's service, gladly bears toil, he swears to repay his lord and quiet the dust of the frontier.
Who has not read, since old, the annals written on green bamboo? Now we see a merit that surpasses the men of old.
Meaning
Atop the walls of Luntai the bugle blows at night; north of Luntai the Maotou star is setting.
Last night the despatch was hurried through Quli; the chieftain has invaded west of the Golden Mountain.
Westward from the watchtower the dust of war rolls up, for the Han army is encamped on Luntai's northern border.
The commander-in-chief, bearing the tally of authority, leads his troops upon the western campaign; at dawn the flutes sound and the great army sets forth.
War drums rise on every side like waves upon the Sea of Snow; the shouting of the three hosts echoes from the Yin Mountains.
Above the enemy camp a gloomy air of slaughter mounts to the clouds; upon the battlefield white bones are still tangled in the grass roots.
At Sword River the wind blows bitter and the snow falls thick as goose feathers; at Shakou the stones are so cold that the horses' hooves freeze and drop away.
The vice-premier toils faithfully for the king's affairs and gladly bears hardship, vowing to serve the state and bring peace to the frontier.
From of old, names written in the annals of history are no rare sight; today our general's merit surpasses that of the men of old.
Background
Read the background
This poem was written in 754 (the thirteenth year of the Tianbao era of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang) or 755 (the fourteenth year of Tianbao), when Cen Shen held the post of administrative secretary (panguan) to the military governor of Anxi and Beiting; it is a farewell poem composed on the occasion of Feng Changqing's western campaign. Together with "Song of Zouma Stream: Presented to Grand Master Feng on His Western Campaign," it belongs to the same period, refers to the same event, and was presented to the same person.