The war drum is beating
- Poetry of Pre-Qin Poetry

《击鼓》

English Rendering

The war drum is beating,

soldiers are ready for fighting.

People stay at home with fear,

only i march southward without drear.


Our great general leads us to win,

many countries are collapsing.

Flame dances,suddenly i think of you,

the wife that makes the tea under cherry tree.


Worried about where you are,

worried about where horses are,

Worried if you could find our horses,

they always ramble on the bushes.


Love and death,part and sorrow,

i've whispered to you by the pillow.

Don't cry,your hand i'll hold tight,

won't let it go,just let's get old like that.


What a tragedy,now we're on two places,

just don't know if i could come home.

What a mirage,i thought i could kept my promises,

hold your hand and gaze at the stars like what we used to be.

The war drum is beating by Pre-Qin Poetry
The war drum is beating by Pre-Qin Poetry

Original Text (中文原文)

击鼓其镗,踊跃用兵。土国城漕,我独南行。

从孙子仲,平陈与宋。不我以归,忧心有忡。

爰居爰处?爰丧其马?于以求之?于林之下。

死生契阔,与子成说。执子之手,与子偕老。

于嗟阔兮,不我活兮。于嗟洵兮,不我信兮。

Analysis & Context

By Anonymous

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.

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