By Li Qi of Tang
Translated by Laijon Liu 20130426
In daylight we climb up mountain to
search for beacon fires
at dark dusk our horses drink by the
river crossing
travellers' hour drum swinging in dim
sandy wind
princess' pipa playing a melody of
parting sorrow
wild clouds ten thousand miles rolling where no
cities or towns
rains and snows sweeping across the vast
deserted wasteplains
Tartars wildgeese grieving caw and
night by night they fly pass
Tartars young lads shed their tears and pair by pair they fall
hearing the message of our Jade Pass is
under siege
our dear life on chasing
chariots to answer the call
year by year soldiers' bones scattered,
buried in wilderness
and we only see Tartars' grapes sending back into Han's house
Chinese:
李頎
古從軍行
白日登山望烽火， 黃昏飲馬傍交河。
行人刁斗風沙暗， 公主琵琶幽怨多。
野雲萬里無城郭， 雨雪紛紛連大漠。
胡雁哀鳴夜夜飛， 胡兒眼淚雙雙落。
聞道玉門猶被遮， 應將性命逐輕車。
年年戰骨埋荒外， 空見葡萄入漢家。
