Lament of the Frontier Guard: Li Po translations
See how Li Po's Chinese poem Lament of the Frontier Guard comes out through various translation engines, and then the famous Ezra Pound translation.
Li Po was an 8th century Chinese poet and is considered one of the greatest poets in Chinese history. He is known for his romantic and imaginative style, often exploring themes of nature, friendship, and the passage of time. His work has been translated into many languages and continues to be celebrated today, and is on the curriculum in many schools in China and around the world.
Original
古风五十九首之十四
胡关饶风沙，
萧索竟终古；
木落秋草黄，
登高望戎虏。
荒城空大漠，
边邑无遗堵；
白骨横千霜，
嵯峨蔽榛莽。
借问谁凌虐，
天骄毒威武。
赫怒我圣皇，
劳师事鼙鼓。
阳和变杀气，
发卒骚中土。
三十六万人，
哀哀泪如雨。
且悲就行役，
安得营农圃；
不见征戍儿，
岂知关山苦。
争锋徒死节，
秉钺皆庸竖；
战士死蒿莱，
将军获圭组。
李牧今不在，
边人饲豺虎。
胡关饶风沙，
萧索竟终古；
木落秋草黄，
登高望戎虏。
荒城空大漠，
边邑无遗堵；
白骨横千霜，
嵯峨蔽榛莽。
借问谁凌虐，
天骄毒威武。
赫怒我圣皇，
劳师事鼙鼓。
阳和变杀气，
发卒骚中土。
三十六万人，
哀哀泪如雨。
且悲就行役，
安得营农圃；
不见征戍儿，
岂知关山苦。
争锋徒死节，
秉钺皆庸竖；
战士死蒿莱，
将军获圭组。
李牧今不在，
边人饲豺虎。
Google Translate
The Hu Pass is full of wind and sand,
Desolate and desolate forever;
The trees fall and the grass turns yellow in autumn,
I climb a high place to see the enemy.
The deserted city is empty in the desert,
The border town has no remaining fortresses;
The bones are strewn with frost,
The rugged mountains are covered with bushes.
May I ask who is abusing us,
The arrogant and powerful Heaven is so powerful.
The wrath of our Holy Emperor
Took the army to work hard.
Yanghe turns into a murderous aura,
The soldiers are sent to disturb the Central Plains.
Three hundred and sixty thousand people,
Weeping like rain.
And sadly going to the military service,
How can we farm?
I have never seen the soldiers,
How can we know the hardships of the mountains and rivers.
The soldiers who fought in the frontier died in vain,
The soldiers who held the axe were all mediocre;
The soldiers died in the weeds,
The generals got the jade.
Li Mu is not here now,
The people on the border feed wolves and tigers.
Desolate and desolate forever;
The trees fall and the grass turns yellow in autumn,
I climb a high place to see the enemy.
The deserted city is empty in the desert,
The border town has no remaining fortresses;
The bones are strewn with frost,
The rugged mountains are covered with bushes.
May I ask who is abusing us,
The arrogant and powerful Heaven is so powerful.
The wrath of our Holy Emperor
Took the army to work hard.
Yanghe turns into a murderous aura,
The soldiers are sent to disturb the Central Plains.
Three hundred and sixty thousand people,
Weeping like rain.
And sadly going to the military service,
How can we farm?
I have never seen the soldiers,
How can we know the hardships of the mountains and rivers.
The soldiers who fought in the frontier died in vain,
The soldiers who held the axe were all mediocre;
The soldiers died in the weeds,
The generals got the jade.
Li Mu is not here now,
The people on the border feed wolves and tigers.
Libre Translate
I'm sorry.
It's the end of the world.
and the trees fall yellow,
High-profile Jane.
The city is empty.
The city is always blocked.
The white bones are frost.
Be reckless.
Ask him who has abused,
It's a venom.
He is angry with my Emperor.
I'm a teacher.
The sun and the heat,
Quiet.
360,000 people.
It's raining.
It’s a sad day.
(a) To secure a camping garden;
I'm not going to see anyone.
How could the Mount of Guan suffer?
It's the Day of the Dead.
I'm not sure what I'm talking about.
The soldiers died in artemisinin.
General Zhou Gui.
I'm not here today.
Zenhu on the side.
It's the end of the world.
and the trees fall yellow,
High-profile Jane.
The city is empty.
The city is always blocked.
The white bones are frost.
Be reckless.
Ask him who has abused,
It's a venom.
He is angry with my Emperor.
I'm a teacher.
The sun and the heat,
Quiet.
360,000 people.
It's raining.
It’s a sad day.
(a) To secure a camping garden;
I'm not going to see anyone.
How could the Mount of Guan suffer?
It's the Day of the Dead.
I'm not sure what I'm talking about.
The soldiers died in artemisinin.
General Zhou Gui.
I'm not here today.
Zenhu on the side.
DeepL
Hu Guan raises the wind and sand.
It is so sad that it will last for ages to come;
The autumn grass is yellow.
I look up to the mountains and look at the soldiers and captives.
The desert city is empty
There are no remnants of the border;
White bones are strewn with frost.
The mountains are covered with hazelnuts.
I ask who abused them.
The proud heaven's poisoned might. \
I am angry with the Emperor.
I'm so angry with the Emperor, I've been working hard on the drums.
The sun and the wind have changed.
The Chinese army is in full swing.
Three hundred and sixty thousand people.
Tears are like rain.
They are saddened by their labour.
I can't afford to work in the farm;
I don't see the children in the army
How can I know the pain of the mountains?
The battle-axe is a mediocrity.
The battle-axes are all mediocre;
Soldiers die in Artemisia.
Generals are rewarded.
Li Mu is no longer with us.
The people on the border feed the jackals and tigers.
It is so sad that it will last for ages to come;
The autumn grass is yellow.
I look up to the mountains and look at the soldiers and captives.
The desert city is empty
There are no remnants of the border;
White bones are strewn with frost.
The mountains are covered with hazelnuts.
I ask who abused them.
The proud heaven's poisoned might. \
I am angry with the Emperor.
I'm so angry with the Emperor, I've been working hard on the drums.
The sun and the wind have changed.
The Chinese army is in full swing.
Three hundred and sixty thousand people.
Tears are like rain.
They are saddened by their labour.
I can't afford to work in the farm;
I don't see the children in the army
How can I know the pain of the mountains?
The battle-axe is a mediocrity.
The battle-axes are all mediocre;
Soldiers die in Artemisia.
Generals are rewarded.
Li Mu is no longer with us.
The people on the border feed the jackals and tigers.
Ezra Pound
By the North Gate, the wind blows full of sand,
Lonely from the beginning of time until now!
Trees fall, the grass goes yellow with autumn.
I climb the towers and towers
to watch out the barbarous land:
Desolate castle, the sky, the wide desert.
There is no wall left to this village.
Bones white with a thousand frosts,
High heaps, covered with trees and grass;
Who brought this to pass?
Who has brought the flaming imperial anger?
Who has brought the army with drums and with
kettle-drums?
Barbarous kings.
A gracious spring, turned to blood-ravenous autumn,
A turmoil of wars-men, spread over the middle
kingdom,
Three hundred and sixty thousand,
And sorrow, sorrow like rain.
Sorrow to go, and sorrow, sorrow returning.
Desolate, desolate fields,
And no children of warfare upon them,
No longer the men for offence and defence.
Ah, how shall you know the dreary sorrow at the
North Gate,
With Riboku's name forgotten,
And we guardsmen fed to the tigers.
Lonely from the beginning of time until now!
Trees fall, the grass goes yellow with autumn.
I climb the towers and towers
to watch out the barbarous land:
Desolate castle, the sky, the wide desert.
There is no wall left to this village.
Bones white with a thousand frosts,
High heaps, covered with trees and grass;
Who brought this to pass?
Who has brought the flaming imperial anger?
Who has brought the army with drums and with
kettle-drums?
Barbarous kings.
A gracious spring, turned to blood-ravenous autumn,
A turmoil of wars-men, spread over the middle
kingdom,
Three hundred and sixty thousand,
And sorrow, sorrow like rain.
Sorrow to go, and sorrow, sorrow returning.
Desolate, desolate fields,
And no children of warfare upon them,
No longer the men for offence and defence.
Ah, how shall you know the dreary sorrow at the
North Gate,
With Riboku's name forgotten,
And we guardsmen fed to the tigers.