Page:The works of Li Po - Obata.djvu/103

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48. BY THE GREAT WALL — I

Came the barbarian horde with the autumn;
Out went the imperial army from the House of Han.
The general has divided the tiger tallies,N
And the dunes of White Dragon are now
The camping ground of the brave.
The moon in the wilderness
Follows the movement of his bow,
And upon his sword the desert frost blossoms.
He has not even entered this side of the Jewel Gate Pass.
But do not heave a long sigh, little wife!


These poems tell the longing and the sorrow of young wives, whose husbands are fighting the barbarians in a distant land — a common theme for Tang poets.

The tiger tallies were used as a means of army registration. These were distributed among the soldiers prior to their departure for the front, while the counterparts were preserved at the headquarters.

The Jewel Gate Pass in western Kansu was located, according to the old Chinese geography, 8600 li west of Chang-an.

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