Sun Quan the Emperor（權御天下）Translation

Published: 23 May 2022

Last updated: 23 May 2022

• Chinese

• en
• zh

Introduction

I really love the Three Kingdoms, and I have two goals for this post.

1. Write a translation that is better than the other ones out there. This translation isn’t good, but it still sounds better than the others in my opinion.
2. Explain or link to the relevant background information to understand the song.

If you can read Chinese, please read the Chinese versions of the provided Wikipedia articles. They usually have significantly more information!

Translation

[東][漢][末] [狼][煙][不][休]
[Eastern][Han][end] [wolf smoke][][not][rest]
At the end of the Eastern Han, the smoke signals were unending

[常侍][亂] [朝野][陷] [阿瞞][挾][天子] [令][諸侯]
[regular][attendant][chaotic] [the court and the people][][to fall, to be trapped] [Aman][sieze][heaven son=son of heaven] [commands][monarchs]
The Regular Attendants¹ were in chaos,
The court and the people had fallen,
Aman² siezed the son of heaven³,
and commanded the court monarchs.

[踞][江東] [志][在][九州] [occupy][river East=Jiangdong] [ambition][in][nine provinces=China]
He goes to occupy Jiangdong⁴,
with ambitions for all of China

[繼][祖業] [承][父兄] [既][冕][主][吳越] [萬][兜鍪]
[undertake][ancestors’ work] [to succeed][father and brother] [assume][crown][rule][Wu Yue] [ten thousand][helmets]
To undertake his ancestors’ work,
To succeed his father⁵ and brother⁶,
To assume the crown and rule Wuyue,
With ten thousand soldiers.

[縱][天下] [幾][變][春秋]
[regardless][sky beneath=the world] [how many][change][spring autumn]
No matter how many times the world changes seasons

[穩][東南] [面][中原] [水師][鎖][長江] [抗][曹][劉]
[stable][East South=Southeast, Jiangdong] [face][central plain] [water master=navy][lock][long river=Yangtze] [resist][Cao Cao][Liu Bei]
He goes to stabilize Jiangdong,
and to face the Central Plain.
The navy blockades the Yangtze
and thereby resists Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

[鎮][赤壁] [雄風][赳赳]
[to subdue/suppress][Red Cliff] [powerful wind=formidable spirit][valiant]
He subdues Red Cliff⁷,
with a valiant and formidable spirit.

[奪][荊][楚] [撫][山越] [驅][金戈鐵馬] [滅][仇][讎]
[seize][Jing Province][Chu Province] [to comfort/console][Shanyue] [to expel][gold][halberd][iron][horse] [extinguish][hatred][vengence]
He siezes Jing and Chu,
Suppresses Shanyue⁸,
Expels powerful armies⁹
and extinguishes hatred and vengence

[紫][發][髯] [碧色][眼眸]
[purple][hair][beard] [blue-green][eyes]
With purple hair and beard,
and blue-green eyes¹⁰.

[射][猛][虎] [倚][黃][龍] [膽識][過][凡人] [誰][敵手]
[shoot][fierce][tiger] [to lean=(here) to ride][yellow][dragon] [courage and insight][surpass][ordinary][people] [who][opponent]
Shooting fierce tigers¹¹,
riding yellow dragons,
with courage and insight that surpasses the ordinary,
who can compete?

[御][天][下] [半][百][之][久]
[rule][heavens][below] [half][century][][long time]
To rule the land¹²,
for fifty years that feel so long

[選][賢][臣] [任][能][將] [覆][江東][雲][雨] [盡][風][流]
[choose][worthy][officials] [appoint][capable][generals] [overturn][Jiangdong][cloud][rain] [to exhaust][wind][flow]
He chooses worthy officials,
Appoints capable generals,
Overturns the situation in Jiangdong,
And ends the mayhem¹³.

[千][秋][過] [再][難][回][首]
[one thousand][Fall][to pass] [still/again][hard][turn][head]
After one thousand autumns,
It is still hard to look upon the past

[問][古今] [興][亡事] [幾][人][耀][青史] [芳名][留]
[to ask][past and present] [to rise/become popular][old things] [how many][people][shine][annals of history] [good name][remains]
In asking about the past and the present,
with the rise and fall of things,
how many people shine through the annals of history,
with their good name still intact?

[笑談間] [雲煙][已][舊]
[laugh][talk][in/amidst] [mist smoke=everything][already][old]
In amusing conversation¹⁴,
Everything has already past

[終][留下] [萬古][嘆] [生子][該][當][如] [孫仲謀]
[in the end][left over] [ancient][sigh] [to have a child][should][act][like] [Sun Zhongmou]
Eventually what is left over
are ancient sighs,
and people saying children should act like Sun Zhongmou¹⁵

[運][帷幄] [英雄][幾][拂][袖]
[move][army tent] [hero][few][flick][sleeve]
He moves army camps,
and heros flick their sleeves¹⁶.

[陰謀] [陽謀] [明仇] [暗鬥]
Covert schemes,
Overt plots,
Obvious hatred,
and underground struggles

[化作][一][江][濁][浪][東][流]
[change into][one][river] [turbid][waves][East][flow]
All turn into a river of turbid waves flowing East

[君不見] [軍][赤壁] [縱][野][火] [鐵][鎖][連環]
[Do you not see?] [to station troops at][Red Cliff] [set][wild][fire] [iron][locks][to link]
Don’t you see?¹⁷
He stations troops at Red Cliff,
sets wildfires,
and links the boats together with iron locks¹⁸

[也不見] [御][北敵] [聯][西蜀] [長江][上][鏖戰]
[Do you not see?] [to resist][north enemy] [join][west Shu] [YangtzeRiver][on][violent fight]
Don’t you see?
He resists the northern enemy¹⁹
And joins with Shu,
Fighting violently on the Yangtze

[繼][遺志] [領][江東] [屹立][於] [神州][東南]
[to carry on][dying wish] [control][Jiang Dong] [to tower][above] [God Country=China][Southeast]
He carries on his father’s dying wish
To control Jiang Dong,
and thereby towers above Southwest China.

[盡][心力] [灑][英血] [展][偉業] [劍氣][指][蒼天]
[to expend][mental and physical strength] [to spill][hero’s blood] [to spread][great undertaking] [blade aura][point][firmament/heavens]
He exhausts his power,
Spilling the blood of heros.
He advances his great undertaking
with the aura of his blade pointing towards the sky.

[軍][帳][內] [公瑾][智] [張昭][謀] [奇策][頻][獻]
[army][tent][inside] [Gong Jin][wisdom] [Zhang Zhao][to plot] [surprise][tactics][frequently][to present/show/be put on display]
Inside the army tents,
Gong Jin²⁰ shows his wisdom,
as Zhang Zhao²¹ plots,
and their surprise tactics are often displayed.

[沙場][上] [太史][勇] [甘寧][霸] [一][騎][當][十][千]
[battlefield][on] [Taishi Ci][brave] [Gan Ning][to rule] [one][mounted soldier][to act as][ten][thousand]
On the battlefield,
Brave Taishi Ci²² and dominant Gan Ning²³
Each match ten thousand soldiers in strength

[縱使][有] [千萬][種] [寂寞][和] [孤單][相伴]
[even if][has] [ten million][kinds] [loneliness][and] [solitude][to accompany]
Even with countless feelings of loneliness and solitude as company\

[既][受終] [冠][帝冕] [龍椅][上] [成敗][也][笑看]
[since][accept the imperial title] [to put on (of a hat)][emperor][crown] [dragon][chair][on] [success][failure][also][laugh][look]
He accepts the imperial title,
puts on the imperial crown,
and assumes the dragon throne²⁴,
yet his success and failure will also fade with time.

[鐵瓮城] [難][攻][易][守]
[iron jar city] [hard][attack][easy][defend
Tieweng city²⁵ is hard to attack and easy to defend

[旌旗][立] [蒼][空][蔽] [逾][百千][雄][師] [萬][蒙][舟]
[banners][to erect] [blue][sky][covered] [to exceed][hundred thousand][mighty][troops] [ten thousand][ancient warship][boat]
Banners are hoisted,
and the blue sky is covered
with more than a hundred thousand mighty troops,
and ten thousand warships²⁶.

[善][制][衡] [眼光][獨秀]
[benevolent][system][balanced] [insight][to stand out]
Their virtuous system is balanced,
and their insight is exceptional.

[擢][魯肅] [勸][阿蒙] [聚][賢][成][霸業] [名][利][收]
[to promote][Lu Su] [to advise][Lü Meng] [to assemble][worthy people][to become][hegemony] [fame][profit][to collect]
They promote²⁷ Lu Su,
advise Lü Meng²⁸,
assemble worthy people to achieve hegemony,
and fame and profit accumulate.

[固][疆土] [施][德][恩][厚]
[to solidify][territory] [to bestow][virtue][favor][generosity]
They solidify their territory,
bestowing virtue, favor, and generosity.

[軍][心][定] [百姓][安] [富國][又][強][兵] [重][耕][耨]
[soldier][heart][to set] [common people][peace] [rich country][again][strong][army] [again][to till][to hoe]
The soldiers’ hearts are set,
and the common people are at peace.
The rich country is again with a strong army²⁹,
and they again till³⁰ the fields.

[交][遠][好] [未][雨][綢][繆]
He makes friends with distant people well,
and he prepares for the rainy days ahead³¹.

[聯][南洋] [合][林邑] [行][軍][遠][渡][海] [駐][夷洲]
[to ally][Nanyang] [join][Linyi] [move][army][far][to cross][sea] [to stop/stay/station][Yizhou]
They ally with Nanyang,
join with Linyi³²,
move troops afar and cross the sea,
stopping at Yizhou³³.

[殘][垣][下] [枯][木][凋][朽]
[ruined][wall][beneath] [dried][wood][wither][rotten]
At the ruined wall’s³⁴ foot,
dried wood is withered and rotten.

[想][當年] [麥城][邊] [截][兵][縛][關羽] [終][其][壽]
[to think][those years] [Mai City][side] [to intercept][army][to bind][Guan Yu] [end][his][life]
He thinks about those past years.
At Maicheng’s side,
he intercepts troops and captures Guan Yu,
ending his life.

[憑][欄][倚] [橫][看]吳鉤
[to lean against][railing][to rely on] [chaotically/wrongly][look][Wugou]
On the railing he leans,
harshly looking at Wugou³⁵.

[嘆][亂][世] [幾時][了] [天下][歸][一][統] [沒][其咎]
[to sigh][chaotic][world] [some time][pass] [sky beneath][return][one][rule] [has not][self blame]
He sighs about the chaotic world,
and some time passes.
The world returns to one rule,
and he has no self blame.

[稱][帝王] [壯][心][仍][稠]
[to be named][emperor] [strong][heart][still][deep]
He is named emperor³⁶,
with a strong heart remaining deep.

[卻][無奈] [自][孤][傲] [同室][亦][操戈] [子嗣][斗]
[yet][no choice] [self][aloof][proud] [same room=family][also][grasp weapon] [son][fight]
Yet he has no choice,
But to be aloof and proud,
His family raise weapons against each other³⁷,
and his sons fight.

[千][年][後] [恚][恨][徒][留]
[thousand][years][after] [rage][hatred][only][remain]
A thousand years elapse,
and only rage³⁸ and hatred remain.

[再][何][尋] [軍][帳][里] [將士][聚][歡飲] [賞][箜篌]
[again][how][find] [army][tent][inside] [officers and soldiers][assemble][happily drink] [appreciate][konghou]
How can he find it again?³⁹
In the army tents,
officers and soldiers assembly and happily drink,
appreciating the Konghou⁴⁰.

運帷幄 英雄幾拂袖
陰謀 陽謀 明仇 暗鬥
化作一江濁浪東流
See above.

[君不見] [呂子明] [踏][輕][舟] [白][衣][渡][川]
[Don’t you see] [Lü Ziming] [to step][light][boat] [white][clothes][cross][river]
Don’t you see?
Lü Ziming⁴¹ steps onto the light boat,
and wearing white clothes crosses the river⁴².

[也不見] [陸伯言] [燒][連][營] [火][光][上][沖][天]
[Don’t you see] [Lu Boyan] [to burn][joint][camp] [fire][light][on][to rise in the air][sky]
Don’t you see?
Lu Boyan⁴³
burns the adjoining camps,
with the firelight rising into the sky.

[善][制][衡] [選][賢][臣] [任][能][將] [共謀][江山]
[benevolent][system][balanced] [select][virtuous][officials] [appoint][capable][generals] [to conspire][river][mountains]
His virtuous system is balanced,
and he selects righteous officials,
appoints capable generals,
and plans to conquer the rivers and mountains⁴⁴.

[聽][忠][言] [摒][逆][語] [樹][威嚴] [寶劍][斫][書案]
[to listen][loyal/sincere advice] [discard][backwards][words] [to establish][dignity] [precious blade][to chop][writing desk]
He listens to loyal advice,
discards⁴⁵ backwards words,
establishes dignity,
and his precious blade chops the writing desk⁴⁶.

[奪][荊州] [抗][劉備] [合][曹操] [共][克][襄樊]
[to sieze][Jing province] [to resist][Liu Bei] [to join][Cao Cao] [together][to subdue][Xiangfan]
He siezes Jing province⁴⁷,
resisting Liu Bei.
He joins Cao Cao,
and together subdues Xiangfan⁴⁸.

[守][夷陵] [任][陸遜] [剿][敵軍] [火][計][破][蜀][膽]
[to guard][Yilu] [to appoint][Lu Xun] [to destroy][enemy army] [fire][plan][break][Shu][guts/courage]
He guards Yilu,
appoints Lu Xun,
destroys the enemy army,
and his fiery plan breaks Shu’s courage⁴⁹.

[固][江][河] [成][帝業] [立][國家] [終][歸][於][亂]
[to stabilize][Yangtze River][Yellow River] [to achieve][emperor’s work] [establish][country] [in the end][return][to][chaos]
He stabilizes the Yangtze and the Yellow river⁵⁰,
achieves the emperor’s work,
establishes a country,
and yet in the end all returns to chaos⁵¹.

[光][陰][逝] [千][載][過] [功成者] [都][付笑談間]
[light][shadow][to pass/die] [thousand][years][pass] [the people that succeeded] [all][to be put to][laugh][talk][in/amidst]
Light and shadow pass,
a thousand years elapse,
and the people that succeeded,
all are reduced to amusing conversation.

The rest of the song repeats various lines from above.

Music Videos

• Animated Version by 三無Marblue
• Live Action Version by 圈9

Future Work

I know of three other knockoff songs, 操戈天下、備量天下 and 瑜弈天下, and all of them could use translations!

Sources

• For this translation, I mimicked the style of East Asia Student’s blog here
• I referenced another translation in the comments here
• The first comment on this link explains the historical parts of the song. I translated some of it and added it to the footnotes.

Footnotes