李颀： 古意/ Li Qi： AN OLD AIR

李颀: 古意/ li qi: an old air
古意
李颀
男儿事长征， 少小幽燕客。
赌胜马蹄下， 由来轻七尺。
杀人莫敢前， 须如蝟毛磔。
黄云陇底白雪飞， 未得报恩不能归。
辽东小妇年十五， 惯弹琵琶解歌舞。
今为羌笛出塞声， 使我三军泪如雨。
an old air
li qi
there once was a man, sent on military missions,
a wanderer, from youth, on the you and yan frontiers.
under the horses' hoofs he would meet his foes

and, recklessly risking his seven-foot body,
would slay whoever dared confront
those moustaches that bristled like porcupinequills.
...there were dark clouds below the hills, there were white clouds above them,
but before a man has served full time, how can he go back?
in eastern liao a girl was waiting, a girl of fifteen years,
deft with a guitar, expert in dance and song.
...she seems to be fluting, even now, a reed-song of home,
filling every soldier's eyes with homesick tears.