Historic Reminiscences of Chibi (to the tune of Nian Nu Jiao )

by Su Shi (1037 - 1101)

The mighty Yangtze River rolls down the east,

Washing away numberless heroic names in history!

To the west of the old fortress is said to be the Chibi,

Where the young general Zhou Yu,

Of the Three Kingdoms age fought his famous battle.

One can see the rocky peaks thrusting into clouds,

And the roaring waves dashing against the shore,

Breaking into thousands of white-flowers.

What a magnificent picture,

In which so many talents played their roles then!

I can visualize the young general:

Soon after he had married the younger Qiao,

Radiant with valor and wisdom,

He burnt an entire fleet of the enemy,

In the course of a witty chat,

Typified by the scholarly cap and the feather fan of his partner.

People may laugh at me,

For indulging so much in historic reminiscences,

That make my hair turn white so early.

Human life is like a dream;

I'd rather pour a cup of wine for the moon overhanging the River.