Translation:
If Wei Qing and the flying general Li Guang who attacked Dragon City were still alive, they would never have allowed the Xiongnu to go south to herd horses across the Yinshan Mountains.
Chang Ling
Two poems about leaving the fortress (Part 1)
The bright moon of the Qin Dynasty and the Pass of the Han Dynasty, the people who marched thousands of miles have not yet returned.
But the flying generals of Dragon City are here, and they don’t teach Hu Ma to cross the Yin Mountains.
Explanation:
①Dragon City: It may be interpreted as the place where the Xiongnu worshiped heaven. Its hometown is Heshuochai on the west side of the Orkhon River in today's Mongolian People's Republic Near Damu Lake; or it may be interpreted as Lulong City, in the area near today's Xifengkou, Hebei Province, which was the seat of Youbeiping County in the Han Dynasty. "Historical Records. "The Biography of General Li" says: "They lived widely in Youbeiping. When the Xiongnu heard about it, they called him Flying General of the Han Dynasty. They avoided him for several years and did not dare to enter Youbeiping." The latter explanation is more reasonable.
②Yinshan: In the central part of today’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Translation of ancient poetry:
1:
It is still the bright moon and border gates of the Qin and Han Dynasties,
The battle continues for a long time, and the expedition of thousands of miles has not yet begun Return it.
If Wei Qing and the flying general Li Guang who attacked Dragon City were still alive today, they would never have allowed the Xiongnu to go south to herd horses across the Yinshan Mountains.
2:
Since the Qin and Han dynasties, the bright moon has still shone brightly on the pass.
The soldiers who left home for thousands of miles have not returned yet.
If Wei Qing and the flying general Li Guang who attacked Dragon City were still there,
the Hu army would not have been allowed to cross the Yinshan Mountains.
3:
It was still the bright moon of the Qin Dynasty and the border of the Han Dynasty, but now many soldiers have gone thousands of miles away and never returned.
If the brave and capable generals were still alive, they would never let the Xiongnu troops cross the Yinshan Mountains.
This is a famous frontier fortress poem, which expresses the poet's hope that a good general will be appointed to quell the war at the frontier fortress as soon as possible so that the people can live a stable life.
The poet starts from describing the scenery. The first sentence outlines a desolate scene with the cold moon shining on the border. "The bright moon of the Qin Dynasty and the Pass of the Han Dynasty" cannot be understood as the bright moon of the Qin Dynasty and the pass of the Han Dynasty. Here, the four characters Qin, Han, Guan, and Yue are used interchangeably, which is called "intertextual meaning" in rhetoric, which means the bright moon in Qin and Han Dynasties and the pass in Qin and Han Dynasties. The poet hinted that the war here has not stopped since the Qin and Han Dynasties, highlighting the long time. In the second sentence, "Thousands of miles long march, people have not yet returned." "Wanli" refers to the thousands of miles apart between the frontier and the inland. Although it is a false reference, it highlights the vastness of the space. "People have not yet returned" reminds people of the disasters caused by war and expresses the poet's grief and indignation.
How can we relieve the people's suffering? The poet places his hope in a capable general. "But let the flying generals of Longcheng be here and not teach the Hu horses to cross the Yinshan Mountains." As long as Li Guang, the flying general guarding Longcheng, is still alive, the Hu cavalry will not be allowed to cross the Yinshan Mountains. "Dragon City Flying General" refers to Li Guang, the famous general who guarded Lulong City under Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. He was brave and good at fighting and defeated the Huns many times. "Don't teach" means not allowed. The word "teach" is pronounced flatly; "Hu Ma" here refers to the cavalry invading from foreign nations. "Du Yin Mountain" means crossing Yin Mountain. Yinshan Mountain is a large mountain range running east-west in the north. It was a natural barrier for the northern border defense in the Han Dynasty. The last two sentences are written implicitly and cleverly, allowing people to draw necessary conclusions from the comparison of past events.