Comments and Annotations

Fully prepared for wreaking vengeance on the State of Wu, the State of Yue gave the former a telling blow and toppled it down in 475 BC. The soldiers of Yue sang the present song, which is an excerpt from Annals of the States of Wu and Yue (《吴越春秋》), on their departure for the expedition. It expresses the soldiers’ determination to win the victory. Cases of simile (e.g. “like eagles”), accepted sayings (e.g. “Providence blesses only the just”) and oaths (e.g. “Our forces will put all to rout”) make the language vivid and the style vigorous.