Year
Poem #57 and this poem (#58) were dedicated to the same theme and were composed in the same environment. In May of that year, Feng Dafu led the Chinese Han army on a western march against the Huns. In June, he accepted surrender from the Huns and returned. In winter, he led the army to that area again and defeated the Hun troops.
Note: Liane Rui of Shanghai, China assisted with the literal character-by-character translation and notes.
Translation
By Cen Shen (715-770) | 岑參 |
Wheel Tower Song: A Tribute to General Feng’s Western Expedition | 輪臺歌 奉送封大夫 出師西征 |
Wheel Tower— from the city’s top a night horn blows | 輪臺 城頭 夜吹角 |
Wheel Tower— from the city’s north a falling star | 輪臺 城北 旄頭落 |
The previous night a letter express from Quli | 羽書 昨夜 過渠黎 |
The Hun Chief was already there— Gold Mountain, to the west | 單于 已在 金山西 |
The watchtower gazes west at signal smoke among the dust and dark | 戍樓 西望 煙塵黑 |
While Han soldiers camp at Wheel Tower’s north | 漢兵 屯在 輪臺北 |
The General Chief then holds a banner, heading out west to attack | 上將 擁旄 西出征 |
At daybreak the whistle blows, our army vast begins to march | 平明 吹笛 大軍行 |
From all sides the beating drums a sea of snow is gushing | 四邊 伐鼓 雪海湧 |
Our armies three then give a mighty shout and shake the enemy’s base at Gloomy Mountain | 三軍 大呼 陰山動 |
The frontier seized— our soldiers’ spirits rise to gathering clouds | 虜塞 兵氣 連雲屯 |
On the battlefield the white bones entwine with grassy roots | 戰場 白骨 纏草根 |
At the River Sword the wind is pressing snowflakes far and wide | 劍河 風急 雪片闊 |
And at the Sandy Gate the frozen rocks that strip the horse’s hooves | 沙口 石凍 馬蹄脫 |
But General Feng— he serves the emperor through sweet and bitter times | 亞相 勤王 甘苦辛 |
Pledging to inform his lord the border dust is quiet | 誓將 報主 靜邊塵 |
From ancient times our history is young to those who cannot see | 古來 青史 誰不見 |
But the famous deeds we see today excel the ancients’ | 今見 功名 勝古人 |
Original Chinese
Traditional | Simplified | Pronunciation |
岑參 | 岑参 | Cén shēn |
輪臺歌奉送封大夫出師西征 | 轮台歌奉送封大夫出师西征 | Lún tái gē fèng sòng fēng dà fū chū shī xī zhēng |
輪臺城頭夜吹角， | 轮台城头夜吹角， | Lún tái chéng tóu yè chuī jiǎo, |
輪臺城北旄頭落。 | 轮台城北旄头落。 | Lún tái chéng běi máo tóu laò. |
羽書昨夜過渠黎， | 羽书昨夜过渠黎， | Yǔ shū zuó yè guò qú lí, |
單于已在金山西。 | 单于已在金山西。 | Chán yú yǐ zài jīn shān xī. |
戍樓西望煙塵黑， | 戍楼西望烟尘黑， | Shù lóu xī wàng yān chén hēi, |
漢兵屯在輪臺北。 | 汉兵屯在轮台北。 | Hàn bīng tún zài lún tái běi. |
上將擁旄西出征， | 上将拥旄西出征， | Shàng jiàng yōng máo xī chū zhēng, |
平明吹笛大軍行。 | 平明吹笛大军行。 | Píng míng chuī dí dà jūn xíng. |
四邊伐鼓雪海湧， | 四边伐鼓雪海涌， | Sì biān fá gǔ xuě hǎi yǒng, |
三軍大呼陰山動。 | 三军大呼阴山动。 | Sān jūn dà hū yīn shān dòng. |
虜塞兵氣連雲屯， | 虏塞兵气连云屯， | Lǔ sài bīng qì lián yún tún, |
戰場白骨纏草根。 | 战场白骨缠草根。 | Zhàn chǎng bái gǔ chán cǎo gēn. |
劍河風急雪片闊， | 剑河风急雪片阔， | Jiàn hé fēng jí xuě piàn kuò, |
沙口石凍馬蹄脫。 | 沙口石冻马蹄脱。 | Shā kǒu shí dòng mǎ tí tuō. |
亞相勤王甘苦辛， | 亚相勤王甘苦辛， | Yà xiāng qín wáng gān kǔ xīn, |
誓將報主靜邊塵。 | 誓将报主静边尘。 | Shì jiāng bào zhǔ jìng biān chén. |
古來青史誰不見？ | 古来青史谁不见？ | Gǔ lái qīng shǐ shuí bù jiàn? |
今見功名勝古人。 | 今见功名胜古人。 | Jīn jiàn gōng míng shèng gǔ rén. |
Literal Translation
岑參 | Small-hill Ginseng= Cen Shen(715-770) |
輪臺歌奉送封大夫出師西征 | Wheel Tower song offer-tribute send Enclose Big Man send-out troops west march [Wheel Tower= a place in Xinjiang] |
[offer-tribute send= farewell/give], [Enclose Big Man=Feng Dafu, Dafu is a senior official position], [west march = punitive expedition to the west] | |
輪臺城頭夜吹角， | Wheel Tower city head/top night blow horns [city head= top of the city wall], [blow horns=an instrument the military used as a time signal] |
輪臺城北旄頭落。 | Wheel Tower city north(ern) banner head/top falls/rests [banner head falls= Maotou, a constellation’s name, also called the Hun’s Star. This star falling is the omen that the Huns would fail in the battle.] |
羽書昨夜過渠黎， | Feather letter yesterday/last night across/pass-through Ditch Daybreak [Feather letter=urgent military message, usually with a bird feather on it, to indicated for expedited service.], [Ditch Daybreak= Quli, a place in Turkestan] |
單于已在金山西。 | Chan Yu already at Gold Mountain west [Chan Yu= generic name for the chiefs of the Huns], [Gold Mountain= Mt. Altai across Xinjiang and Mongolia] |
戍樓西望煙塵黑， | Garrison/defend-frontiers/defend-borders tower/house west look-towards smoke dust/ash black [smoke= here refers to the signal fire] |
漢兵屯在輪臺北。 | Han soldiers to-station/camp at Wheel Tower north |
上將擁旄西出征， | First/top marshal/general hold banner-decorated-with-animal’s-tail/ancient-flag west head-out march/attack/invade [First marshal= chief general], [hold banner-decorated-with-animal’s-tail=Tang’s ambassador used to lead the army], [head-out march = go into battle] |
平明吹笛大軍行。 | Level bright blow bamboo-flute big/vast/great army march [Level bright= daybreak] |
四邊伐鼓雪海湧， | Four sides dispatch-an-expedition/beat/cut-down/attack/subjugate drum/beat/strike snow sea bubble-up/rush-forth/well-up/gush-forth |
三軍大呼陰山動。 | Three armies big/great shout Gloomy Mountain shakes [Three armies = army of right, left, center], [gloomy Mountain= Mt. Yin, the Huns always used this place as a base to invade Han People.] |
虜塞兵氣連雲屯， | Enemy/capture/imprison/seize/take-prisoner/prisoner-of-war frontier/fortress soldiers spirit/air/imposing-manner connect/join clouds gather/camp |
戰場白骨纏草根。 | Battle field white bones interwine/wrap/coil/tangle grass roots |
劍河風急雪片闊， | Sword River wind hurried/pressing snow/snowfall flake/slice wide/broad/ample [Sword River=in Xinjiang] |
沙口石凍馬蹄脫。 | Sand/gravel Mouth/gate stone/rock freeze/cold horse shoe/hoof escape/take-off/peel-off [Sand mouth= a place’s name] |
亞相勤王甘苦辛， | Deputy secretary-of-state diligent imperial/emperor sweet(ness) bitter/suffering/hardship work-hard/laborious/toilsome [Deputy secretary-of-state= the ancient title Mr.Feng(Feng Dafu) used to have] [diligent imperial= diligently working for the imperial emperor, save the emperor by sending troops, save the country in times of danger, [sweet bitter = in good times and bad, for better or worse] |
誓將報主靜邊塵。 | Swear/pledge/oath will/intend-to/going-to requite/report/tell lord/master quiet/still side/border dust/ashes [requite lord= from an idiom, serve one's country with unreserved loyalty; lord refers to the emperor.] |
古來青史誰不見？ | Ancient/old/classic come/return bluish/green/young history/annals/chronicles who don’t see [ancient come = since ancient times, it has always been the case that...], [bluish history= idiom, annals of history] |
今見功名勝古人。 | Today/now see/behold/perceive achievement/accomplishment/merit fame defeat/excel/victory ancient people |