English Rendering
The woods are black and a wind assails the grasses,
Yet the general tries night archery --
And next morning he finds his white-plumed arrow
Pointed deep in the hard rock.
Border-songs II
- Poetry of Lu Lun
《塞下曲 · 其二》
Original Text (中文原文)
林暗草惊风，将军夜引弓。
平明寻白羽，没在石棱中。
Analysis & Context
Folk-song-styled-verse
This second poem in the series depicts a general's heroic night hunt, blending tension, mystery and wonder. Though brief, it presents a compact narrative with vivid imagery. Through this nocturnal expedition, the poem showcases the general's decisiveness, strength and extraordinary skill, imbued with romanticism and heroic spirit.
Reader's Companion
The Essence of the Verse
Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.
Reading Between the Lines
Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.
- A Night-mooring at Wuchang
- A Farewell To Li Duan
- Border-songs IV
- Border-songs III
- Border-songs II
- Border-songs I
- The Summit Temple
- <Prelude to Water Melody> Sent to Ziyou on Mid-autumn Festival
- Invitation to Wine
- Question and Answer in the Mountains
- Cold sheet
- Coming Home ( Returning Home )
The Masters' Directory
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