Wang Wei: Sent As an Envoy to a Strategic Border Stronghold
使至塞上
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 候 骑
都 护 在 燕 然。
Shi Zhi Sai Shang
Dan che yu wen bian
Shu guo guo ju yan
Zheng peng chu han sai
Gui yan ru hu tian
Da mo gu yan zhi
Chang he luo ri yuan
Xiao guan feng hou qi
Du hu zai yan ran.
Sent As an Envoy to a Strategic Border Stronghold
Traveling in a single carriage to inspect the border
At Juyan, an area that just came under the country’s rule.
Arrive at the Han border stronghold after a long journey through wind-blown tall grasses
Returning wild geese enter the Hu skies.
Large desert, solitary sand twisters straight up into the sky
Long river, setting sun still round.
At the Xiao fortress on a strategic mountain pass, I await at the station to change horses
Told that a general of the palace guard, returning from a victory at Mt. Yanran, will take the next fresh horse.
Notes:
Juyan: An area on the Mongolian frontier
Han: A Chinese military outpost.
Hu: non-Han, nomadic people and area to the northwest
Solitary sand twister: implies that he sees no signal fires, so this area is very remote
