Send Off Foreign Envoy Liu, Bound For Anxi
送 刘 司 直 赴 安 西
绝 域 阳 关 道
胡 沙 与 塞 尘。
三 春 时 有 雁
万 里 少 行 人。
苜 蓿 随 天 马
浦 桃 逐 汉 臣。
当 令 外 国 惧
不 敢 觅 和 亲。
Song Liu Si Zhi Fu An Xi
Jue yu yang guan dao
Hu sha yu sai chen.
San chun shi you yan
Wan li shao xing ren.
Mu xu sui tian ma
Pu tao zhu han chen.
Dang jin wai guo ju
Bu gan mi he qin.
Send Off Foreign Envoy Liu, Bound for Anxi
Isolated region, past the big gate, all roads head west
Hu sand competes for dominance with the dust.
Just for three spring months have wild geese
Throughout the year, few travelers arrive.
Alfalfa for their heavenly horses
And grapes brought by a Han official to China.
Nowadays foreign countries need to be fearful of us
The not-so-brave, look to bribe and marry off their daughters.
Notes:
An Xi: A region near Gansu province.
Hu: The non-Han ethnic people in the northwest. Also known as the Mongolian nomads and the Xiongnu.
