[updated October 2022]
Recollections of Suiyang
睢 阳 感 怀
豺 虎 犯 天 纲
升 平 无 内 备。
长 驱 阴 山 卒
略 践 三 河 地。
张 侯 本 忠 烈
济 世 有 深 智。
坚 壁 梁 宋 间
远 筹 吴 楚 利。
穷 年 方 绝 输
邻 援 皆 携 贰。
使 者 哭 其 庭
救兵终不至。
重 围 虽 可 越
藩 翰 谅 难 弃。
饥 喉 待 危 巢
悬 命 中 路 坠。
甘 从 锋 刃 毙
莫 夺 坚 贞 志。
宿 将 降 贼 庭
儒 生 独 全 义。
空 城 唯 白 骨
同 往 无 贱 贵。
哀 哉 岂 独 今
千 载 当 歔 欷。
Sui Yang Gan Huai
Chai hu fan tian gang
Sheng ping wu nei bei.
Chang qu yin shan zu
Lue jian san he di.
Zhang hou ben zhong lie
Ji shi you shen zhi.
Jian bi liang song jian
Yuan chou wu chu li.
Qiong nian fang jue shu
Lin yuan jie xie er.
Shi zhe ku qi ting
Jiu bing zhong bu zhi.
Chong wei sui ke yue
Fan han liang nan qi.
Ji hou dai wei chao
Xuan ming zhong lu zhui.
Gan cong feng ren bi
Mo duo jian zhen zhi.
Su jiang jiang zei ting
Ru sheng du quan yi.
Kong cheng wei bai gu
Tong wang wu jian gui.
Ai zai qi du jin
Qian zai dang xu xi.
Recollections of Suiyang
Jackals and tigers violate heaven’s guiding principles
Previous times of peace needed no inside preparations.
Enemy expeditionary forces marched long from the Yin mountains
Quickly they overtook three rivers and lands.
Military mayor Zhang’s ancestors were strong and loyal
They helped their societies, revealing deep wisdom.
Zhang hid supplies from the rebels in between the kingdoms of Liang and Song
His preparations protected Wu and Chu.
All year long no provisions transported on the rivers to the capital
Neighboring regions have no surplus supplies.
Messengers were sent out to ask for help
But no food or extra soldiers available.
Although Zhang and his army could break the siege
This city and it’s history very difficult to abandon.
Starving mouths await in a dangerous nest
Their life and fate suspended and about ready to fall.
People voluntarily ready to die by the cutting edge of a sword
Cannot take by force their loyalty and will.
Some remaining soldiers surrender to the evil usurpers
Zhang’s humanity and Confucian values honor the righteous.
Empty city only has white bones of the dead
Rich and poor together end up the same.
Such grief! Not just this one time
After one thousand years we should shed tears for him.
Notes:
Suiyang: A county area in Guizhou Province
Jackals and tigers: Referring to the palace powerful and corrupt.
Yin Mountains: On the southern border of the Gobi Desert, between Inner Mongolia and northern Hebei Province.
Liang Kingdom: Was located in Henan Province around the eighth and seventh centuries BC.
Song Kingdom: Was a nation state within the Zhou Dynasty.