[updated November 2022]
Li Chang Shows Me His Reply Inside Our Linked Poetic Letters
次 韵 季 长 见 示
倚 遍 南 楼 十 二 栏
长 歌 相 属 寓 悲 欢。
空 怀 铁 马 横 戈 意
未 试 冰 河 堕 指 寒。
成 败 极 知 无 定 势
是 非 元 自 要 徐 观。
中 原 阻 绝 王 师 老
那 敢 山 林 一 枕 安？
Ci Yun Ji Chang Jian Shi
Yi bian nan lou shi er lan
Chang ge xiang shu yu bei huan.
Kong huai tie ma heng ge yi
Wei shi bing he duo zhi han.
Cheng bai ji zhi wu ding shi
Shi fei yuan zi yao xu guan.
Zhong yuan zu jue wang shi lao
Na gan shan lin yi zhen an?
Li Chang Shows Me His Reply Inside Our Linked Poetic Letters
Everywhere near our last meeting, the towers had twelve balconies
Let us put our passions into the long sections of this chained verse.
Expect and still fixated on army horses and battleaxes going to the west
We have yet to sink our frozen fingers into the icy rivers.
Without a calm power, do not know if campaigns produce victory or defeat
Is it not basic and natural to first and slowly watch the battles unfold.
The Central Plains still cut off, imperial armies exhausted
Inside mountains and forests, could you really leave the comfort of your pillow?
Notes:
[Written in December 1177 AD, Lu Yu had an appointment to a small job. He and his friend, Li Chang, wrote this linked poem along the way to begin this work.]