The next sentence of "Dark clouds are pressing down on the city to destroy it" is: The light of armor opens towards the golden scales of the sun.
Original poem:
Black clouds are pressing down on the city, ready to destroy it, and the light of armor opens towards the golden scales of the sun.
The sound of the trumpet fills the autumn sky, and the night is purple when stuffed with swallow fat.
The half-rolled red flag is near the Yishui River, but the sound of heavy frost and cold drums cannot be heard.
Report your favor on the golden stage, and guide the Jade Dragon to die for you.
Translation:
The enemy soldiers rolled in like black clouds, trying to destroy the city wall; the soldiers' armor flashed golden in the sunlight. The sound of the horn resounded through the autumn night sky, and the bloodstains of the soldiers on the frontier fortress turned purple in the cold night. The red flag was half-rolled, and the reinforcements rushed to Yishui; the night was cold and frosty, and the drums sounded depressed and low. In order to repay the king's reward and love, he was willing to fight to the death for his country with a sword in his hand.
Source: "The Journey of the Governor of Yanmen" by Li He of the Tang Dynasty
Poetry Appreciation
The whole poem brilliantly depicts the entire process of a fierce battle: The enemy troops were pressing down on the territory, and the city was isolated and helpless. They fought back bravely, the trumpets shook the sky, they advanced rapidly, they made a surprise attack on a starry night, they were outnumbered, and they sacrificed their lives for the country. With the help of beautiful and rich imagination, the poet paints things with rich and mottled colors to describe tragic and tragic battle scenes.
For example, the dark clouds pressing down on the city are used to imply that the enemy troops are pressing down on the territory and are arrogant; while the armor depicting our soldiers shines with the sunlight, and the golden light shines, like golden scales shining, which is shown in the color contrast. The high morale of the soldiers. The rouge-like blood stains condensed into purple in the night fog, highlighting the cruelty and intensity of the war.
Coupled with the poet's contrast and rendering from the perspectives of sight and hearing, day and night, it forms a colorful picture that combines movement and stillness, giving people a real sense of the tragic battle and adding to the atmosphere of the whole poem. It is intense, the mood is desolate and tragic, and it is full of strange and romantic colors. Among ancient Chinese frontier fortress poems, this is a unique masterpiece.