桑干源；
今年戰，
At River’s source; This year. we fight
葱河道。
洗兵條支海上波，
Along its course. We’ve washed our swords in Parthian seas off bloody stains,
放馬天山雪中草。
萬里長征戰，
And grazed our horses on the grass in mountain’s snow. For miles and miles we made campaigns
三軍盡衰老。
匈奴以殺戮為耕作，
Till weak and old our warriors grow. The Tartars live on killing as on ploughing land,
古來惟見白骨黃沙田。
秦家築城備胡處，
Bleach’d bones of olden times are buried in the sand. Under the Qin① against the foe Great Wall was raised;
漢家還有烽火燃。
烽火燃不息，
Under the Han② the beacon fires still blazed. See beacon fires on the frontier!
征戰無已時。
野戰格斗死，
Still warriors fight from year to year. In wilderness the fighters die,
敗馬號鳴向天悲。
烏鴉啄人腸，
Riderless horses neigh toward the sky; Crows pecking human entrails flee
銜飛上掛枯樹枝。
士卒塗草莽，
And hang them on a withered tree. The blood of soldiers smears the grass.
將軍空爾為。
乃知兵者是凶器，
Without them what could generals do? War is a fearful thing, alas!
聖人不得已而用之。
For rulers wise. ’twould be the last means resorted to.