Analysis of Song of the Bowmen of Shu
Ezra Pound 1885 (Hailey) – 1972 (Venice)
Here we are, picking the first fern-shoots
And saying: When shall we get back to our country?
Here we are because we have the Ken-nin for our foemen,
We have no comfort because of these Mongols.
We grub the soft fern-shoots,
When anyone says "Return," the others are full of sorrow.
Sorrowful minds, sorrow is strong, we are hungry and thirsty.
Our defence is not yet made sure, no one can let his friend return.
We grub the old fern-stalks.
We say: Will we be let to go back in October?
There is no ease in royal affairs, we have no comfort.
Our sorrow is bitter, but we would not return to our country.
What flower has come into blossom?
Whose chariot? The General's.
Horses, his horses even, are tired. They were strong.
We have no rest, trhee battles a month.
By heavn, his horses are tired.
The generals are on them, the soldiers are by them.
The horses are well trained, the generals have ivory arrows and
quivers ornamented with fish-skin.
The enemy is swift, we must be careful.
When we set out, the willows were drooping with spring,
We come back in the snow,
We go slowly, we are hungry and thirsty,
Our mind is full of sorrow, who will know of our grief?
By Bunno, reputedly 1100 B. C.
Scheme | ABCDAXBCXXXBXDXXXXXCXXCBX B |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 111100111 0101111111010 11101110111101 11110011110 110111 11010101011110 100110111110010 10011111111111101 110111 1111111110010 11110100111110 101011011110111010 110110110 11000100 1011010110101 111111001 11110110 0100111010111 01011101001100100 1100111 01001111110 11110101011 111001 11101110010 101111101111101 11010011 |
Closest metre | Iambic hexameter |
Characters | 1,204 |
Words | 225 |
Sentences | 23 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 25, 1 |
Lines Amount | 26 |
Letters per line (avg) | 35 |
Words per line (avg) | 9 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 460 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 111 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 26, 2023
- 1:07 min read
- 171 Views
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