The Five Dynasties lacked a true lord;
Ambitious villains usurped in hordes.
They sharpened broad swords and long blades,
And murdered each other in broad daylight.
Our Song had a divine ancestor,
Whose hidden virtue moved Heaven's will.
Thus Heaven's will seemed to declare:
Go forth and be my successor.
The divine ancestor bowed low,
And then ascended the imperial throne.
He did not force the people's joy,
Nor did he anger the lords to fear.
They scrambled to present jade and silk,
Rushing forward, fearing to be late.
The great Shang realm was split in three,
Yet two parts fell to him in one day.
Taizong ruled with righteousness,
Zhenzong governed with benevolence.
The kingly way was straight as bamboo arrows,
Chants of praise boiled like a golden cauldron.
Only the northern tribes of Yinshan,
Often raided our borderlands.
The Son of Heaven blazed with wrath,
And made a grand tour to Chan and Wei.
He shot and killed the Wise King of the Right,
Thus severing the Xiongnu's arm.
Their wolfish hearts were tamed and subdued,
Swearing brotherhood, they made peace.
From then on, between the two rivers,
All was silent, no military preparations.
Soldiers idle, fond of night songs,
Generals old, greedy for spring sleep.
Thus began an era of peace,
Passing vaguely over thirty years.
The Rong and Hao seized our lapse,
Galloping south on Helan steeds.
Yang Pass long opened by night,
The pivot rotten, could not be closed.
Battle clouds rose over Qin and Yong,
Killing aura swept across Jing and Wei.
Envoys trembled as they reported,
Ministers glared in council debate.
All cried: 'Dispatch troops at once!'
'Crushing these upstarts is easy.'
In haste they built border ramparts,
Exhausted before the fight began.
Pressed to open the armory,
Blades were brittle, rusted through.
For autumn defense, old garrisons were called,
New commanders were appointed with plans.
The old garrisons aged and dying,
The young lacking true skill.
Truly due to lack of training,
Hands and feet confused in thrust and strike.
The new commanders, sons of generals,
Raised from childhood in wealth and ease.
The Six Secret Teachings they never read,
Their mouths knew only the taste of meat.
The army again controlled from within,
Advance and retreat by eunuchs' will.
Authority light, orders confused,
Two battles, and none were left.
Lord Cao abandoned seven armies,
The Jin men captured three commanders.
Our forces since then were lost,
An edict ordered a new system.
If such tools are not prepared in advance,
Once needed, from where can they come?
The court pressed the prefectures,
The prefectures pressed the officials.
The officials had no other art,
But to demand from the simple folk.
Plow oxen lost their sinews and horns,
Flying birds were stripped of feathers.
Bamboo shafts emptied Kuaiji,
Iron smelted, Dong Mountain crushed.
Supplies slightly delayed,
Whipping became a different crime.
Gloomy air choked the great void,
Clear scenes turned dark in daylight.
I heard of Guo Ziyi of Fenyang,
Who judged the enemy with wondrous skill.
With a single whip he persuaded the Turks,
Barbarian chieftains fell to both knees.
I also heard of Li Sheng of Xiping,
Who faced war with heroic spirit.
Clad in a robe of crimson brocade,
He shattered Huaiguang's liver and gall.
Thus we know the art of using troops,
Lies in men, not in weapons.
May your ears hear like Shun's, high and clear,
May your eyes see like Shun's, bright and sharp.
I pray you adopt the best of strategies,
And never rely solely on sharp spears.