Cen Shen’s poetry is famous for its unique meaning and wording, especially his frontier-theme poems. In order to portray the brave soldiers, Cen describes and exaggerates the severe environment and scenes at the frontier, rather than praising them directly about valiant deeds.
The notes, character table, and literal character-by-character translation were prepared with the assistance of Liane Rui of Shanghai, China.
Translation
Cen Shen (715-770) | 岑參 |
A Tribute to General Feng’s Western Expedition: Traveling by Horseback River | 走馬川行奉 送封大夫出師西征 |
Sir, you cannot see the Horseback River, traveling on a snowy seashore | 君不見 走馬川 行雪海邊 |
Thickets and weeds a level sand the yellow dust goes floating to sky | 平沙 莽莽 黃入天 |
Mongolian Luntai— October’s howling wind at night | 輪臺 九月 風夜吼 |
A river with broken rocks as big as jugs of wine | 一川 碎石 大如斗 |
Following a wind that’s full of sand and rocks—you march chaotically | 隨風 滿地 石亂走 |
The Huns the yellow grass and horses of hearty flesh | 匈奴 草黃 馬正肥 |
Looking west on Golden Mountain— an urgent signal fire’s smoke is floating | 金山 西見 煙塵飛 |
So the great general of Han Chinese sends his troops out west | 漢家 大將 西出師 |
The army general his metal armor— he does not take it off at night | 將軍 金甲 夜不脫 |
And in the midst of night the troops go march with spears, prodding each other on | 半夜 軍行 戈相撥 |
The wind is blowing like a knife that cuts the face | 風頭 如刀 面如割 |
And the horses’ hair— it carries the snow along with sweat dissolving in air | 馬毛 帶雪 汗氣蒸 |
Horses with five-colored hair a pattern of connecting coins that turn at once from sweat and snow to ice | 五花 連錢 旋作冰 |
Within the commander’s tent a rugged call-to-arms is sent on tablets also frozen | 幕中 草檄 硯水凝 |
Enemy cavalry hearing the news— it must be frightening to their guts | 虜騎 聞之 應膽懾 |
Anticipating, knowing their lack of troops they venture not to meet | 料知 短兵 不敢接 |
And at our base in Cheshi the Western Gate awaits displays of victory | 車師 西門 佇獻捷 |
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
岑參 | 岑参 | Cén shēn |
走馬川行奉送封大夫出師西征 | 走马川行奉送封大夫出师西征 | Zǒu mǎ chuān xíng fèng sòng fēng dà fū chū shī xī zhēng |
君不見走馬川行雪海邊， | 君不见走马川行雪海边， | Jūn bù jiàn zǒu mǎ chuān xíng xuě hǎi biān, |
平沙莽莽黃入天。 | 平沙莽莽黄入天。 | Píng shā mǎng mǎng huáng rù tiān. |
輪臺九月風夜吼， | 轮台九月风夜吼， | Lún tái jiǔ yuè fēng yè hǒu, |
一川碎石大如斗， | 一川碎石大如斗， | Yī chuān suì shí dà rú dòu, |
隨風滿地石亂走。 | 随风满地石乱走。 | Suí fēng mǎn dì shí luàn zǒu. |
匈奴草黃馬正肥， | 匈奴草黄马正肥， | Xiōng nú cǎo huáng mǎ zhèng féi, |
金山西見煙塵飛， | 金山西见烟尘飞， | Jīn shān xī jiàn yān chén fēi, |
漢家大將西出師。 | 汉家大将西出师。 | Hàn jiā dà jiàng xi chū shī. |
將軍金甲夜不脫， | 将军金甲夜不脱， | Jiāng jūn jīn jiǎ yè bù tuō, |
半夜軍行戈相撥， | 半夜军行戈相拨， | Bàn yè jūn xíng gē xiāng bō, |
風頭如刀面如割。 | 风头如刀面如割。 | Fēng tóu rú dāo miàn rú gē. |
馬毛帶雪汗氣蒸， | 马毛带雪汗气蒸， | Mǎ máo dài xuě hàn qì zhēng, |
五花連錢旋作冰， | 五花连钱旋作冰， | Wǔ huā lián qián xuán zuò bīng, |
幕中草檄硯水凝。 | 幕中草檄砚水凝。 | Mù zhōng cǎo xí yàn shuǐ níng. |
虜騎聞之應膽懾， | 虏骑闻之应胆慑， | Lǔ qí wén zhī yīng dǎn shè, |
料知短兵不敢接， | 料知短兵不敢接， | Liào zhī duǎn bīng bù gǎn jiē, |
車師西門佇獻捷。 | 车师西门伫献捷。 | Chē shī xī mén zhù xiàn jié. |
Literal Translation
岑參 | Small-hill Ginseng= Cen Shen(715-770) | |
走馬川行奉送封大夫出師西征 | Walking/Running Horse Creek/River/Stream travel/go offer-tribute/serve/respect send/dispatch Enclose Big Man send-out/go troops west march/attack/invade/conquer | |
君不見走馬川行雪海邊， | Gentleman/you not see Walking/running Horse Plain/Creek/Stream/River travel/move/go snowy sea/ocean side/edge | |
平沙莽莽黃入天。 | Flat/even/level sand/gravel/pebbles vast/thicket/underbrush/thick-weeds vast/thicket/underbrush/thick-weeds yellow enter/join sky/heaven | |
輪臺九月風夜吼， | Wheel Tower ninth month wind night roar/shout/bark/howl/bellow [Wheel Tower= Luntai, a place in Xinjiang, a Mongolian region], [nine month = around October on the traditional lunar calendar or September or the Western calendar] | |
一川碎石大如斗， | One/a creek/river/stream broken/smash/crushed stones/rocks big as Chinese-peck [broken stones= gravel], [Chinese-peck= Chinese measuring unit, equivalent to about 10 liters or 2.6 gallons. A U.S. peck is equivalent to 2 gallons or 8.8 liters. Another meaning of 斗is a jug of wine.] | |
隨風滿地石亂走。 | Follow wind full-of/fill ground/earth/soil stones/rocks disorderly/chaotic walk [follow wind = wind-borne] | |
匈奴草黃馬正肥， | Hun people/slave/servant grass yellow horse at-the-time/just(right)/correct fat/large/fertile/fertilize/manure [Hun people = Huns or general term for nomadic people] | |
金山西見煙塵飛， | Gold Mountain west(ern)/westward see/observe/behold smoke/soot dust/dirt/ashes fly [smoke= here refers to the signal fire] [Gold Mountain= Mt. Altai across Xinjiang and Mongolia] | |
漢家大將西出師。 | Han/Chinese-people family big/great/vast commander-in-chief/general west(ern)/westward send-out/go-out/produce troops [Han family= refers to Tang Dynasty] | |
將軍金甲夜不脫， | General military/army/troops gold/metal armor night not take-off/strip/shed [General military= the general in the military] [gold armor= iron armor] | |
半夜軍行戈相撥， | Mid/middle-of night/by-night military/army/soldiers/troops march/go spear/halberd/lance towards/reciprocal/each-other poke/stir/move/dispel/move-aside [Meaning: The military were marching at night, so they were tapping the ground with their spears to lead the way.] | |
風頭如刀面如割。 | Wind direction/blow/head like/as knife face as-if/like/as cutting [wind direction = way the wind blows] | |
馬毛帶雪汗氣蒸， | Horse fur/hair carry/wear/take-along snow sweat/perspiration air steam/evaporate | |
五花連錢旋作冰， | Five colors/flower/blossoms connected/joined coins immediately become ice [Five colors= a good breed horse, this breed has various colors on the fur.], [connected coins= a pattern of the fur] [Meaning: The snow and sweat on the horse fur instantly froze.] | |
幕中草檄硯水凝。 | Tent/headquarters-of-general inside/amidst/within draft/grass/straw/rough/careless official-call-to-arms/declaration-of-war/urgency/dispatch/order ink-slab/inkstone water solidify/congeal/freeze | |
虜騎聞之應膽懾， | Enemy’s/capture/imprison/seize/prisoner-of-war cavalry/mounted-soldier hear/make-known it/’s/them should/must/ought gut/gall-bladder/courage frightened/afraid/scared/fearful | |
料知短兵不敢接， | Predict/conjecture/consider/expect/anticipate/guess knows/comprehend/aware short/deficient/lacking/weak-point arms/soldiers/troops/army not dare/venture/bold/brave connect/receive/meet [short arms not dare connect= idiom, short arms refer to fighting with weapons face to face.] | |
車師西門佇獻捷。 | Vehicle Troop west(ern)/westward gate wait/look-towards offer/present/show/display triumph/victory [Vehicle Troop= Cheshi, a place in Turfan Basin in Xinjiang, where Tang’s military agency located.] [offer triumph= bring back the news of victory] | |
Year:
2012
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