[updated November 2022]
Return Back Through the Mid-Hanzhou Border Region
归 次 汉 中 境 上
云 栈 屏 山 阅 月 游
马 蹄 初 喜 踏 梁 州。
地 连 秦 雍 川 原 壮
水 下 荆 扬 日 夜 流。
遗 虏 孱 孱 宁 远 略？
孤 臣 耿 耿 独 私 忧。
良 时 恐 作 他 年 恨
大 散 关 头 又 一 秋！
Gui Ci Han Zhong Jing Shang
Yun zhan ping shan yue yue you
Ma ti chu xi ta liang zhou.
Di lian qin yong chuan yuan zhuang
Shui xia jing yang ri ye liu.
Yi lu chan chan ning yuan lue?
Gu chen geng geng du si you.
Liang shi kong zuo ta nian hen
Da san guan tou you yi qiu!
Return Back Through the Mid-Hanzhou Border Region
Over a month of travels around the cloud-hugging Mt. Ping
Horse hooves begin to like this roadway through Liangzhou.
Land is connected between Qin and Yong nations, rivers are their primary strength
River flows from Jingzhou to Yangzhou day and night.
Perhaps who can finally stop the weak and frail nomad stragglers from gathering strength
This solitary official pestered by these lonely and personal sorrows.
I am afraid these good times may someday become full of regrets
By autumn return to my military outpost.
Notes:
Hanzhou: Ancient name for the city of Hangzhou.
Cloud-hugging: Refers to a wooden plank pathway built along the face of steep cliff. Lu thought that this would make an excellent chokepoint, where the northern invaders could be easily beaten back.
Liangzhou: Gansu Province
Qin nation: (ca. 897-207 BC): Western China in ancient times.
Jingzhou: Southern Hubei on the Changjiang (Yangzi River)
Yangzhou: Jiangsu Province north of the Changjiang