Mourn for the Ancient Battle Field (吊古战场文 唐-李华)

Mourn for the Ancient Battle Field
By Li Hua of Tang Dynasty
Translated by Laijon Liu

Oh vast!
Even sand without any slopes,
Immense and unpeopled ground,
Only the rivers belted the mountains.
At this dark and miserable place,
Wind moans and sun whitens.
Erigeron broken and grass dried up,
Morning is covered by the frosts.
Flying birds pass, do not land to rest;
Solo beasts lost, chases wildly for his pack.
The station captain tells me:
“This is the ancient battle field,
And many armies were sunk here.
In the dark cloudy days,
You may hear the crying of ghosts.”

I pity for them, and wonder:
Were they the soldiers of Qin or Han
Or the solders of present time?

I heard the time of Warring States,
When the states of Qi and Wei raised their taxes,
Then the states of Chu and Han recruited for battle.
Their soldiers traveled for ten thousands miles,
And year by year they marched in open land,
Gathering their herds in desert grass by dawn,
And at night they walked across the frozen river,
On vast earth and under the limitless skies
They lost their road to home.
In between their swords and spear,
They entrusted their dear live,
And full of bitter sorrows,
To whom they should tell?
Since the period of Qin and Han,
Our borders torched by frequent battles,
And middle kingdom was collapsed thru generations.
There is old saying:
“The tribal forces by our border
And common peoples within our kingdom
Do not fight against a righteous court;
But now our civilized teaching lost its course,
So our martial officials dominated our court,
Their strategy never matches righteous way,
And the way of a king is not proper for a vast land.”
Sigh.

I think the north winds rolling across the desert,
The tribal forces take their chances to attack us.
Our general leads with his pride,
Who is only able to react above the gate.
In the field he rushes to raise our banner,
And our old soldiers march into their formations.
The strict commands are carried out by fear,
And honor is to be respected, but life is cheap.
Sharpening arrows pierce through flesh and bones,
Storming sands strike the figures and faces.
Our soldiers and foes struggle and fight,
The mountains and rivers are trembled by their cries.
Their loud howls can shut the rivers,
Rolling across the sky as thunders.

Not to mention the dense dark clouds,
Blanket the heaven and cover the earth,
Freezing breeze fogged our borders.
Stored snow sunk leg and knee,
Icy freezes hair and beard.
Even the vultures are hiding in their cave,
Battle horses are hesitated to march forward.
Amours and cloth are freezing cold,
Every hand and fingers are frostbite,
Skins break and muscles are torn.
Such bitter cold weather only favors the tribal force,
In the cold winter season they come and loot and slaughter.
Our captains are surrendered, then our general is killed.
Dead bodies piled up the river bank,
And blood filled the holes under the great wall.
Whether they are noble or commons,
The same they shall be the dry bones in the wild field.
There is no word to describe!
The drum sound weakens and fades,
Our soldiers’ spirit is broken and their strength withered,
Their arrows are gone, and the bowstrings are broke.
So they hold their sword and saber
Dash into close combat,
But their strong blades are split;
Two sides are pressing hard for life or death.
Give up? Then be a slave in a strange land for life.
Keep fighting? Only another dead body unburied!
Birds sing no song, mountains stand in silence,
Long dark night, the wind blows his sorrow,
Lost lingering souls curdle, the sky dims,
Ghosts and gods gather as dark clouds pile.
Sunlight does not shine here, so plants never grow,
Only the moon reflects her grieving light on frost.
There is never a scene as dreadful as this in our world!

I heard that General Li Mu leads the army of Zhao,
Breaks the attack of the tribal force,
And gains the land of thousand miles,
So Xiong Nu flees far away.
But the Emperor of Han drains nation to defend,
Only obtains a bankrupt result.
Nation’s security is depended on officials, not the number of armies.
Dynasty Zhou drive away their foes,
And stop their marching at Tai Yuan,
Build a city in the north for defense,
Then pull back all their force to capitol for victory,
In their temple they offer their rites and drinks,
Record their success and give promotions,
Then all people are happy and live in peace.
Emperor and officials work with respects.
The first Emperor Qin builds the great wall to east sea shore,
Countless live are devastated,
And fresh blood paint ten thousand miles land.
And emperor of Han wages war on Xiong Nu,
Even though he captures the Mount Yin,
Still many his soldier’s bodies cover the vast field,
His achievement does not match with disaster.
I wonder people live under heaven,
Who does not have parents?
Years of their feeding to only fear they will die young.
Who does not have siblings? As his hands and feet?
Who does not love his wife as friend and partner?
Those somehow live, to whom they shall give their thanks?
Those fall in battle, to whom they shall give their blames?
Whether they are live or dead, no one from their home knows.
Even if their family hears some message, they still don’t believe.
All day they sit in sorrow, only wish to reunite in dream.
They can only offer their sacrifice and libation drink,
And then look toward far heaven and cry gushing tears.
Heaven and Earth worry for them, grass and woods grieve for them.
How could they tell their feeling thru sacrifice?
And where the lost souls should go?
Not to mention the drought comes after war,
People would drift and disperse.
I sigh and ask that we live by fate or by choice?
Because such dreadful thing troubles us since ancient times!
How should we do?
Because the defense of our nation is rely on our friendship with neighbors.

Note:
This is a prose poem that is written by an official of Tang Emperor, for the purpose of stopping war. Judging from his writing, I know his is a talented official that can really helps his nation, not only his nation, but his neighbor nations should trust him also. I wonder if nation picks her officials like Mr. Li Hua, then all people will live in a peaceful life, and nation with nation work in friendship not thru power or wars, maybe I am just dreaming. Anyway, this prose poem is for officials and politicians, anyone may use it and memorize it free of charge, so I could feel I’ve done something for world peace.


Chinese:

吊 古 战 场 文 （唐）李华

浩浩乎！平沙无垠，不见人，河水萦带，群山纠纷。黯兮惨悴，
风悲日曛。蓬断草枯，凛若霜晨。鸟飞不下，兽铤亡群。亭长告余曰：
“此古战场也。常覆三军，往往鬼哭，天阴则闻。”

伤心哉！秦欤？汉欤？将近代欤？吾闻夫齐魏徭戌，荆韩召募，
万里奔走，连年暴露。沙草晨牧，河冰夜渡；地阔天长，不知归路。
寄身锋刃，【月＋福之右】臆谁诉？秦汉而还，多事四夷；中州耗
【睾攵】，无世无之。古称戎夏，不抗王师。文教失宣，武臣用奇；
奇兵有异于仁义，王道迂阔而莫为。

呜呼噫嘻！吾想夫北风振漠，胡兵伺便。主将骄敌，期门受战。
野竖旄旗，川回组练。法重心骇，威尊命贱。利镞穿骨，惊沙入面。
主客相搏，山川震眩。声析江河，势崩雷电。

至若穷阴凝闭，凛冽海隅；积雪没胫，坚冰在须。鸷鸟休巢，征
马踟蹰，缯纩无温，堕指裂肤。当此苦寒，天假强胡，凭陵杀气，以
相剪屠。径截辎重，横攻士卒；都尉新降，将军覆没。尸填巨港之岸，
血满长城之窟。无贵无贱，同为枯骨，可胜言哉！鼓衰兮力尽，矢竭
兮弦绝。白刃交兮宝刀折，两军蹙兮生死决。降矣哉，终身夷狄；战
矣哉，骨暴沙砾。鸟无声兮山寂寂，夜正长兮风淅淅。魂魄结兮天沉
沉，鬼神聚兮云幂幂。日光寒兮草短，月色苦兮霜白。伤心惨目，有
如是耶？

吾闻之：牧用赵卒，大破林胡，开地千里，遁逃匈奴。汉倾天下，
财殚力【疒甫】。任人而已，其在多乎？周逐猃狁，北至太原，既城
朔方，全师而还。饮至策勋，和乐且闲。穆穆棣棣，君臣之间。秦起
长城，竟海为关，荼毒生灵，万里朱殷。汉击匈奴，虽得阴山，枕骸
遍野，功不补患。

苍苍蒸民，谁无父母？提携捧负，畏其不寿。谁无兄弟，如手如
足？谁无夫妇，如宾如友？生也何恩，杀之何咎？其存其没，家莫闻
知。人或有言，将信将疑。【涓涓】（“忄”代 “氵”）心目，寝
寐见之。布奠倾觞，哭望天涯。天地为愁，草木凄悲。吊祭不至，精
魂何依？必有凶年，人其流离。鸣呼噫嘻！时耶命耶？从古如斯。为
之奈何，守在四夷。