AN OLD AIR

　　Li Qi

　　There once was a man, sent on military missions,

　　A wanderer, from youth, on the You and Yan frontiers.

　　Under the horses‘ hoofs he would meet his foes

　　And, recklessly risking his seven-foot body,

　　Would slay whoever dared confront

　　Those moustaches that bristled like porcupinequills.

　　……There were dark clouds below the hills, there were white clouds above them,

　　But before a man has served full time, how can he go back?

　　In eastern Liao a girl was waiting, a girl of fifteen years,

　　Deft with a guitar, expert in dance and song.

　　……She seems to be fluting, even now, a reed-song of home,

　　Filling every soldier‘s eyes with homesick tears.
翻譯：

　　古意

　　李頎

　　男兒事長征， 少小幽燕客。

　　賭勝馬蹄下， 由來輕七尺。

　　殺人莫敢前， 須如蝟毛磔。

　　黃云隴底白雪飛， 未得報恩不能歸。

　　遼東小婦年十五， 慣彈琵琶解歌舞。

　　今為羌笛出塞聲， 使我三軍淚如雨。