塞垣行

A swift wind sweeps the murky sea, a vast expanse,

Raising sand and grit for ten thousand li in a dance.

I look up but cannot see the sky,

In endless gloom from dawn till dusk I lie.

Then armies clashed on two fronts in that hour,

Foes to the east, and enemies in the west with power.

Flags and drums covered the hills, a daunting sight,

Secret paths hid sharp arrows, ready for the fight.

Elite cavalry broke the dawn's encirclement ring,

Surprise troops stormed the fortress walls under night's wing.

In the tenth month, the borderlands are cold and drear,

On four sides mountains hold accumulated gloom severe.

Rain and snow drive the wild geese southward in their flight,

Dust and wind press the western scenery from sight.

In former days I engaged in scholarly debate,

Never neglecting the classics, early or late.

But one day I abandoned my brush and inkstone's art,

For ten long years I've wielded spear and played my part.

What need for oaths sworn by the Yellow River's side?

We must carve our triumph on Mount Yanran with pride.

Alas, for the minister who herds sheep, I sigh,

A long-time stranger by the sea, under a foreign sky.