白雪歌送武判官归京》

Song of White Snow in Farewell to Secretary Wu Going Back to the Capital

北风卷地白草折，胡天八月即飞雪。

The north wind rolls up white grasses broken by frost;

In the eighth moon the Tartar sky is filled with snow

As if the vernal breeze had come back overnight

Adorning¹ thousands of pear trees with blossoms white.

忽如一夜春风来，千树万树梨花开。

Flakes² enter pearled blinds and wet silken screens;

Fox furs cannot warm us nor brocade quilts green.

散入珠帘湿罗幕，狐裘不暖锦衾薄。

Generals cannot draw their rigid³ bows with ease;

Though coats of mail are worn, the officers still freeze.

将军角弓不得控，都护铁衣冷难着。

a thousand feet o’er cracked wilderness⁴ ice piles,

And gloomy clouds hang sad and drear for miles and miles.

瀚海阑干百丈冰，愁云黪淡万里凝。

We drink in headquarters to our guest homeward bound;

With Tartar lutes, pipas and pipes the camps resound⁵.

中军置酒饮归客，胡琴琵琶与羌笛。

Snow in large flakes at dusk falls heavy on camp gate;

The frozen red flag in the wind won’t undulate.

纷纷暮雪下辕门，风掣红旗冻不翻。

At eastern gate of Wheel Tower we bid goodbye

On the snow-covered road to Heaven’s Mountain high.

轮台东门送君去，去时雪满天山路。

I watch his horse go past a bend and, lost to sight,

His track will soon be buried up by snow in flight.

山回路转不见君，雪上空留马行处。