On Mission to the Frontier
- Poetry of Wang Wei

《使至塞上》

English Translation

A single carriage goes to the frontier;

An envoy crosses northwest mountains high.

Like tumbleweed I leave the fortress drear;

As wild geese I come under Tartarian sky.

In boundless desert lonely smokes rise straight;

Over endless river the sun sinks round.

I meet a cavalier at the camp gate;

In northern fort the general will be found.

Composed in 737 AD when Wang Wei was dispatched to inspect frontier defenses, this travelogue-style poem captures both the majestic landscapes of the northwest borderlands and the poet's emotional journey.

中文原文( Chinese )

单车欲问边，属国过居延。

征蓬出汉塞，归雁入胡天。

大漠孤烟直，长河落日圆。

萧关逢侯骑，都护在燕然。

Pre： The Magnolia Dale

Next：Harmonizing a Poem by Palace-Attendant Guo

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.

On Mission to the Frontier - Poetry of Wang Wei

On Mission to the Frontier
- Poetry of Wang Wei