Galleries and Translations > Recent Works / Poetry and Others > Lyrics to Professing My Innermost Passion 《 訴衷情 ∙ 當年萬里覓封侯 》
Lyrics to Professing My Innermost Passion
by Lu You
( 陸游《 訴衷情 ∙ 當年萬里覓封侯 》)
101 X 55 cm
Lyrics to Professing My Innermost Passion
(《 訴衷情 ∙ 當年萬里覓封侯 》)
Translation
Original Chinese
English Translation
1. 當年萬里覓封侯,
In my prime (當年, 1), I cast my aspiration far and wide (萬里, 2) to seek (覓封) titles of military glory (侯).
2. 匹馬戍梁州.
Alas, how I longed to defend (戍, 3) Langzhou (梁州, 4) single-handedly (匹馬, 5).
3. 關河夢斷何處,
Awakened from the dream (夢斷, 6) of retaking Guanhe (關河, 7), where is it now actually?
4. 塵暗舊貂裘.
What's left is only my old fur coat (貂裘, 8), all dull (暗) and dusty (塵).
5. 胡未滅,鬢先秋.
The barbarians (胡) are yet to be eliminated, but my sideburns (鬢, 9) have first become weary (秋).
6. 淚空流.
Tears have all been shed in vain (空), undoubtedly.
7. 此生誰料,
O, I never imagined (誰料) my entire life story,
8. 心在天山,
Was to fantasize in mind (心) fighting at the Khangai Mountains (天山, 10) only,
9. 身老滄洲!
Leaving my body (身) to perish (老, 11) at Cangzhou (滄洲, 12) seclusively!
(translated by KS Vincent POON, January 2025)
Remarks
(I)
This poem was composed by Song Dynasty's Lu You (陸游, 1125-1210 AD). During his time, Song faced an existential threat from the invading Jurchens (13). As a "patriotic" Confucian, Lu desired to be at the forefront to defeat the invaders (14). Yet, despite his passion, he was only appointed to various clerical advisory positions and had never commanded an army nor even fought on the front lines (15).
(II)
There are several phrases in this poem that are commonly misinterpreted.
First is "當年萬里覓封侯". Many took "當年" as "recalling those years (回憶當年)" and so contended Lu was looking back on his time as a soldier fighting the invaders (回憶早年慷慨從戎的戰鬥生活) (16). Such is incorrect, for Lu was never a combatant on the battlefield fighting the Jurchens, according to official records (17). At most, he was a mere "clerical assistant officer (幹辦公事)" who once advised Military Commissioner Wang Yan (王炎) in Langzhou (梁州) (18).
Since Lu was never a soldier, "當年萬里覓封侯" has nothing to do with Lu's "combat military life". Instead, it only characterizes Lu's far and wide (萬里) aspirations to seek (覓封) titles of military glory (侯) when he was in his prime (當年). Examining various classical Chinese literature, "當年" often represented "prime (壯年)", for instance:
(i) 呂不韋《呂氏春秋∙愛類》: "士有當年而不耕者, 則天下或受其饑矣." (19)(ii) 墨子《墨子∙非樂上》: "將必使當年, 因其耳目之聰明, 股肱之畢強, 聲之和調, 眉之轉朴." (20)
Similarly, "匹馬戍梁州" does not mean Lu had actually defended Langzhou as a soldier in his past. It merely portrays young Lu's fantasy of defending against the enemy at Langzhou, a critical military stronghold.
(III)
The second is "關河夢斷何處". Due to the common misconception that Lu had once battled the Jurchens, many interpret this phrase as something like "my time in the military defending the frontiers can now only be found in my dreams, and once awake, I don't know where I am (如今防守邊疆要塞的從軍生活只能在夢中出現，夢醒後不知身在何處)" (21). Such is certainly nonsensical and wholly incorrect.
Lu actually wrote "關河夢斷何處" to express his anguish that Song failed to realize his dream (夢) of retaking Guanhe (關河), a vital strategic region in Chinese history. "關" here represents the Hangu Pass (函谷關) or the Tong Pass (潼關), while "河" represents the Yellow River (黃河) or the Wei River (渭水). Thus, Guanhe refers to Chang'an (長安) and its surrounding areas, which were also collectively known as "Guanzhong (關中)". Such is supported by the canonical Records of the Grand Historian (《史記》):
"秦四塞之國，被山帶渭，東有關河(關中)，西有漢中 ." (22)"Qin was a secured state in all directions. It had tall mountains and great rivers. To the East, it held the Guanhe region. To the West, it possessed the Hanzhong area."(translated by KS Vincent Poon)
Since the Guanhe region, centred by Chang'an (長安), was vital to liberate the Central Plains (中原), Lu long advocated to reclaim it first:
"以為經略中原必自長安始." (23)"If one plans to liberate the Central Plains, one must retake Chang'an first."(translated by KS Vincent Poon)
Such is why Lu put "defend Langzhou (戍梁州)" in the poem, as taking back Guanhe required first securing Langzhou, a critical military base southwest of Guanhe.
Of course, the declining Song never fully took back the Guanhe region from the Jurchens. Thus, Lu lamented, "Awakened from the dream (夢斷) of retaking Guanhe (關河), where is it now actually (何處)?"
(IV)
Third, "老" in "身老滄洲" means "death/pass away", while "滄洲" means "a place of seclusion". For elaborations on these, please see KS Vincent Poon's Lyrics to the Immortal by the River (《 臨江仙 ∙ 庭院深深深幾許 》) and A Chanted Poem Upon a River (《 江上吟 》) .
To conclude, Lu You was undoubtedly a good poet who wrote with powerful language, but his achievements as a public servant were nearly nonexistent. After retirement, he became a lackey of the scheming minister Han Tuozhou (韓侂冑, 1152-1207 AD) (24). Revered Confucian scholar Zhu Xi (朱熹, 1130-1200 AD), a peer of Lu, once predicted:
"其能太高，跡太近，恐為有力者所牽挽，不得全其晚節." (25)"(Lu's) talents are extraordinarily high, but his bureaucratic accomplishments (跡) (26) are too mediocre (太近) (27). Thus, he is easily manipulated by those in power, so I am afraid he will not be able to preserve his integrity (節) late in his life."(translated by KS Vincent Poon)
Toqto'a (脫脫, 1314-1356 AD), in his History of Song - Biography of Lu You (《宋史∙陸游傳》), applauded Zhu for having such sharp "foresight (先見)" (28) long before Lu kowtowed to Han Tuozhou. Indeed, even renowned philosopher and historian Gu Yanwu (顧炎武, 1613-1682 AD) also admonished Li Zide (李子德, 1631-1692 AD) never to follow in Lu's footsteps during the early Qing Dynasty (29).
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(1) "當年" here means "prime (壯年)", as in《呂氏春秋∙愛類》: "士有當年而不耕者, 則天下或受其饑矣." See《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.1390. Also see Remarks (II).
(2) "萬里" here means "far and wide (遠大)", as in 尉遲樞 《南楚新聞∙崔鉉》："天邊心性架頭身, 欲擬飛騰未有因. 萬里碧霄終一去, 不知誰是解絛人.” Ibid., p.183.
(3) "戍" here means "defend (防守)", as in《史記∙陳涉世家》: "二世元年七月, 發閭左適戍漁陽." See《漢語大字典》. Wuhan: 崇文書局, 2010, p.1501.
(4) "梁州" here refers to Langzhou, which is "Hanzhong (漢中)", a territory southwest of Guanhe (關河). See 脫脫 ,《宋史》Vol.89, 地理志. Taipei: 藝文印書館, 乾隆武英殿版, Book 2, p.1093. Also see Remarks (III).
(5) "匹馬" herer means "單身一人 (singlehandedly)", as in 杜甫《曲江三章章五句》："短衣匹馬隨李廣, 看射猛虎終殘年." See《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.949.
(6) "夢斷" here means "awakened from a dream (夢醒)", as in 李白《憶秦娥》: "簫聲咽, 秦娥夢斷秦樓月." Ibid., p.1189.
(7) "關河" here refers to Chang'an (長安) and its surrounding areas. See Remarks (III).
(8) "貂裘" here refers to "a fur coat (貂皮制成的衣裘)", as in《淮南子∙說山訓》："貂裘而雜, 不若狐裘而粹." See《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.1334.
(9) "鬢" here means "sideburn (臉旁靠近耳朵的頭髮)", as indicated in 《說文》: "鬢, 頰髮也." See《漢語大字典》. Wuhan: 崇文書局, 2010, p.4828.
(10) "天山" refers to the "Khangai Mountains (燕然山)", which now reside within Mongolia. See《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.1406.
(11) "老" here means "death/pass away (死/逝)". See KS Vincent Poon's Lyrics to the Immortal by the River (《 臨江仙 ∙ 庭院深深深幾許 》) for elaborations.
(12) "滄洲" here refers to "a place of reclusion (避世歸隱之地)". See KS Vincent Poon's A Chanted Poem Upon a River (《 江上吟 》) for elaborations.
(13) 脫脫 ,《宋史》Vol. 22 to 36. Taipei: 藝文印書館, 乾隆武英殿版, Book 1, pp.248-397.
(14)《宋史》Vol.395, 陸游傳. Ibid., Book 6, pp.4872-4873.
(15) Ibid..
(16) 張高寬, 《宋詞大辭典》. Shenyang: 遼寧人民出版社, 1990, p.337.
(17) As in footnote (14).
(18) Ibid..
(19) 呂不韋,《呂氏春秋》Vol.21, 愛類. Hangzhou: 淅江書局, 光緒元年版, p.9b.
(20) 孫詒讓,《墨子閒詁》Book 2. Shanghai: 商務印書館, 1931, p.39.
(21) 謝選駿,《謝選駿全集》Vol.326. Raleigh: Lulu Press Inc., 2024, pp.528 & 530.
(22) 司馬遷,《史記》Vol.39, 蘇秦列傳. Hong Kong: 廣智書局, publication year unknown, pp.1-2.
(23) As in footnote (14), p.4873.
(24) Ibid..
(25) Ibid..
(26) "跡" here means "功跡 (accomplishments)", as in 趙曄《吳越春秋∙勾踐歸國外傳》: "霸王之跡, 自斯而起." See《漢語大詞典》. Shanghai: 上海辭書出版社, 2008, p.801.
(27) "近" here means "mediocre (平庸)", as in 徐幹《中論∙爵祿》: "功小者, 其祿薄; 德近者, 其爵卑.” Also, 陸游《上辛給事書》: "某束髮好文, 才短識近." Ibid., p.730.
(28) As in footnote (23).
(29) 顧炎武,《亭林全集》Vol.4, 答子德書. Shanghai: 中華書局, publication year unknown, p.105.
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