The Flute Heard at the Frontier 塞上听吹笛

Sài Shàng Tīng Chuī Dí
塞 上 听 吹 笛
（唐）高适
xuě jìng hú tiān mù mǎ huán
雪 净 胡 天 牧 马 还，
yuè míng qiāng dí shù lóu jiān
月 明 羌 笛 戍 楼 间。
jiè wèn méi huā hé chù luò
借 问 梅 花 何 处 落，
fēng chuī yī yè mǎn guān shān
风 吹 一夜 满 关 山。
The Flute Heard at the Frontier
(Tang) Gao Shi
From pastures return the steeds beneath the snow-white sky,
Among the towers of post arises the sound of flute in moonlight.
But wher does this tune of plum bloom drift in its flight?
By the nightly wind it is wafted along the passes on high.

Comment
This is a poem dealing with the frontier army life expressed by the flute music.
The first line sets the time, location and atmosphere in which the army is
stationed and the flute melodies are wafting along in the moon-litnight. After
grazing the battle-steeds in the daytime, the soldiers return to their barracks.
With the cold bright moon shinning in the sky, a soldier begins to play “Ode to
Plum Blossom” on his flute, which is a very popular classic melody exolling the
characteristic quality of plum blossoms defying cold, opening in the wind and
emitting fragrance. And using the word “ 落 ” is a capital example of
symesthesia, in which hearing the music conjures up the vision of numerous
notes turning into plum petals drifting in flight over the frontier passes. The flute
melody is a voice from the old home, a yearning for the family far away. The
melodious flute music embodies the rich and intense feelings the soldiers
cherish deep in their hearts. Moreover, the poem vividly presents the open,
vast, peaceful but charming land of the frontier.
诗歌赏析
这是一首描述边疆战士生活和借用音乐表述心怀的边塞诗。第一句交代了时间、
地点和当时环境与气氛，由此，边关才有月夜笛声悠扬的情景。战士们放牧了一
天的战马，回到军营休息。天空月明清冷，吹笛的战士很自然地吹起一首唐代盛
行的，描述月夜梅花不畏严寒、迎风怒放、幽香飘远的乐曲《梅花引》。一个“落”
字，听觉转换成了视觉，乐曲的无数音符被浪漫地转换成了无数的花瓣，在茫茫
的夜色中，飘飘悠悠地撒落在万里边疆的关山之上。笛声是乡音，笛声是思念。
战士们在悠扬传远的笛声里寄托了丰富而深远的情怀。诗歌展现了边关的辽阔宁
和与空灵幽美。