塞下曲

王昌龄

饮马渡秋水， 水寒风似刀。

平沙日未没， 黯黯见临洮。

昔日长城战， 咸言意气高。

黄尘足今古， 白骨乱蓬蒿。

UNDER A BORDER-FORTRESS

Wang Changling

Drink, my horse, while we cross the autumn water!-

The stream is cold and the wind like a sword,

As we watch against the sunset on the sandy plain,

Far, far away, shadowy Lingtao.

Old battles, waged by those long walls,

Once were proud on all men's tongues.

But antiquity¹ now is a yellow dust,

Confusing in the grasses its ruins and white bones.