[updated November 2022]
Golden Sword Scabbard Travels
金 错 刀 行
黄 金 错 刀 白 玉 装
夜 穿 窗 扉 出 光 芒。
丈 夫 五 十 功 未 立
提 刀 独 立 顾 八 莣。
京 华 结 交 尽 奇 士
意 气 相 期 共 生 死。
千 年 史 策 耻 无 名
一 片 丹 心 报 天 子。
尔 来 从 军 天 汉 滨
南 山 晓 雪 玉 嶙 峋。
鸣 呼 楚 虽 三 户 能 亡 秦
岂 有 堂 堂 中 空 无 人！
Jin Cuo Dao Xing
Huang jin cuo dao bai yu zhuang
Ye chuan chuang fei chu guang mang.
Zhang fu wu shi gong wei li
Ti dao du li gu ba wang.
Jing hua jie jiao jin qi shi
Yi qi xiang qi gong sheng si.
Qian nian shi ce chi wu ming
Yi pian dan xin bao tian zi.
Er hai cong jun tian han bin
Nan shan xiao xue yu lin xun.
Ming hu chu sui san hu neng wang qin
Qi you tang tang zhong guo kong wu ren!
Golden Sword Scabbard Travels
Sword scabbard covered with yellow gold and white jade
Rays of evening moonlight penetrates through windows and doorways.
For fifty years I have yet to display my masculine talents
Alone, I raise my sword and take the eight warrior positions.
Capital city elites and extraordinary fighters pass through this important crossroad
They share with each other their temperaments and spirit of life and death.
After one thousand years, such shame that no one will record my name.
Last year I followed the army along the shores of the Han River Daybreak snow like jade on the rugged and unyielding Southern Mountains.
Aah, the Chu only required three divisions to handle the Qin
The northern invaders do not understand how large and massive this country is, while seemingly having only a few people!
Notes:
Han River: Longest tributary to the Changjiang in the province of Hubei.
Southern Mountains: Famous mountains south of the capital city of Chang’an.
Chu: Nation state and kingdom (704-223 BC) of current Hubei and Hunan provinces.
Qin: Nation state west of Chu (9th century-207 BC).