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An Old Air

nán
ér
shì
cháng
zhēng

There once was a man, sent on military missions,

shǎo
xiǎo
yōu
yān
kè

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

dǔ
shèng
mǎ

xià

Under the horses' hoofs he would meet his foes

yóu
lái
qīng

chǐ

And, recklessly risking his seven-foot body,

shā
rén
mò
gǎn
qián

Would slay whoever dared confront

xū
rú
wèi
máo
zhé

Those moustaches that bristled like porcupinequills.

huáng
yún
lǒng

bái
xuě
fēi
.
.
.
.
.
.

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

wèi
dé
bào
ēn
bù
néng
guī

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

liáo
dōng
xiǎo
fù
nián
shí
wǔ

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

guàn
dàn

pa
jiě
gē
wǔ

Deft with a guitar, expert in dance and song.

jīn
wèi
qiāng

chū
sāi
shēng
.
.
.
.
.
.

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

shǐ
使
wǒ
sān
jūn
lèi
rú
yǔ

Filling every soldier's eyes with homesick tears.

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