Frontier Song (One of Six Poems)
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)
《塞下曲 (六首选一)》This is the first poem in Li Bai's series of frontier poems, written during the period of frontier wars in the Tang Dynasty. These poems describe the hard lives of frontier soldiers, their loyalty to their country, and their courageous spirit. This poem, through its depiction of the harsh environment on the frontier and the soldiers' hardships, showcases their resilience and heroism in difficult times. Through sympathy and encouragement for the soldiers, the poet expresses his ambition to achieve great feats for his country.
In summer sky-high mountains white with snow,
In bitter cold no fragrant flowers blow.
Songs on the flute are heard of Willows Green,
But nowhere is the vernal colour seen.
From dawn till dusk to beats of drum they fight;
With saddle in their arms they rest at night.
From scabbard at my waist I'd draw my sword
To kill the chieftain of the Turki horde.
五月天山雪，无花只有寒。
笛中闻折柳，春色未曾看。
晓战随金鼓，宵眠抱玉鞍。
愿将腰下剑，直为斩楼兰。
- Why Chinese poems is so special?
- The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.
- How to read a Chinese poem?
- Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.
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