University of Virginia Library

Five-character-regular-verse

七言律詩 祖詠 望薊門

燕臺一去客心驚, 簫鼓喧喧漢將營。
萬里寒光生積雪, 三邊曙色動危旌。
沙場烽火侵胡月, 海畔雲山擁薊城。
少小雖非投筆吏, 論功還欲請長纓。

Five-character-regular-verse
Zu Yong LOOKING TOWARD AN INNER GATE
OF THE GREAT WALL

My heart sank when I headed north from Yan Country
To the camps of China echoing ith bugle and drum.
...In an endless cold light of massive snow,
Tall flags on three borders rise up like a dawn.
War-torches invade the barbarian moonlight,
Mountain-clouds like chairmen bear the Great Wall from the sea.
...Though no youthful clerk meant to be a great general,
I throw aside my writing-brush --
Like the student who tossed off cap for a lariat,
I challenge what may come.