Border-songs IV
- Poetry of Lu Lun

English Translation

Let feasting begin in the wild camp!

Let bugles cry our victory!

Let us drink, let us dance in our golden armour!

Let us thunder on rivers and hills with our drums!

Folk-song-styled-verse

This fourth poem in the series depicts a triumphant general celebrating victory with a wilderness banquet after returning to camp. The jubilant atmosphere contrasts sharply with the tension and sorrow of the previous three poems about farewells, battles, and night hunts, showcasing the glory of homecoming warriors and embodying ancient soldiers' valor and bold spirit, while also reflecting frontier ethnic harmony.

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中文原文( Chinese )

野幕蔽瓊筵， 羌戎賀勞旋。

醉和金甲舞， 雷鼓動山川。

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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• Along the River for Flowers Alone I
• The Cottage by the Stream
• The Lotus-Gathering Song

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• Question and Answer in the Mountains
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• Thoughts in the Silent Night
• Deer-park Hermitage
• A Song of Changgan