Travel to the Southern Mountains

Travel to the Southern Mountains

山 南 行

我 行 山 南 已 三 日
如 绳 大 路 东 西 出。
平 川 沃 野 望 不 尽
麦 陇 青 青 桑 郁 郁。

地 近 函 秦 气 俗 豪
秋 千 蹴 鞠 分 朋 曹。
苜 蓿 连 云 马 蹄 健
杨 柳 夹 道 东 声 高。

古 来 历 历 兴 亡 处
举 目 山 川 尚 如 故。
将 军 坛 上 冷 云 低
丞 相 祠 前 春 日 暮。

国 家 四 纪 失 中 原
师 出 江 淮 未 易 吞。
会 看 金 鼓 从 天 下
却 用 关 中 作 本 根。

Shan Nan Xing

Wo xing shan nan yi san ri
Ru sheng da lu dong si chu.
Ping chuan wo ye wang bu jin
Mai long qing qing sang yu yu.

Di jin han qin qi su hao
Qiu qian cu ju fen peng cao.
Mu xu lian yun ma ti jian
Yang liu jia dao che sheng gao.

Gu lai li li xing wang chu
Ju mu shan chuan shang ru gu.
Jiang jun tan shang leng yun di
Cheng xiang ci qian chun ri mu.

Guo ji si ji shi zhong yuan
Shi chu jiang huai wei yi tun.
Hui kan jin gu cong tian xi
Que yong guan zhong zuo ben gen.

Travel to the Southern Mountains

Already three days now as I travel into the Southern Mountains
From the east, four large highways wind their way from the capital.
Gaze into the distance, flat rivers cross the vast countryside, used for irrigation and soil fertility
Furrows of planted grains, very green and thick mulberry trees.

Lands near to and enveloping the Qin Dynasty have rich and powerful customs and atmosphere
Two sides playing a polo game, matches swing back and forth.
Acres and acres of alfalfa is the field for the players
Interspersed poplar and willow trees along the loud carriage highway.

From ancient times, kingdoms have been born and have died
Looking up, the mountains and rivers valued like in the past.
The platform of General Han Xin forgotten amid low and cold clouds
Early spring day at sunset, his ancestral shrine makes me long for the likes of Minister Zhuge Liang.

For four dozen years our country has lost its central lands and inner parts
Not easy for expeditionary forces to go out past the Huai River.
From heaven, the big copper army drums can muster our troops
Should have used this place here as the base of our military operations.

Notes:

Southern Mountains: Famous nickname for the mountain range to the south of the capital city of Chang’an.

Qin Dynasty:  (897-221 BC)

General Han Xin: (ca. 231-196 BC)  Very important to the founding of the Han Dynasty. Famous as one of the most brilliant military leaders in Chinese history.

Minister Zhuge Liang: (181-234)  Politician, writer, military strategist during the Three Kingdoms period. Often compared to the famous Sunzi, he was also known as the “Crouching Tiger”. His name if often used as synonyms for “loyalty, intelligence, and strategy”.