垓下之围 Surrounded at Gaixia

项王军壁垓下，兵少食尽，汉军及诸侯兵围之数重。 xiàng wáng jūn bì gāi xià, bīng shǎo shí jìn, hàn jūn jí zhū hóu bīng wéi zhī shù chóng.
King Xiang's army was encamped at Gaixia, with few troops and no food left. The Han army and the forces of the other lords surrounded it in several rings.

夜闻汉军四面皆楚歌，项王乃大惊曰：“汉皆已得楚乎？是何楚人之多也！” yè wén hàn jūn sì miàn jiē chǔ gē, xiàng wáng nǎi dà jīng yuē: “hàn jiē yǐ dé chǔ hū? shì hé chǔ rén zhī duō yě!”
At night he heard songs of Chu on every side among the Han troops. Deeply alarmed, he said, “Has Han already taken all of Chu? Why are there so many people of Chu here?”

项王则夜起，饮帐中。 xiàng wáng zé yè qǐ, yǐn zhàng zhōng.
King Xiang rose that night and drank in his tent.

有美人名虞，常幸从；骏马名骓，常骑之。 yǒu měi rén míng yú, cháng xìng cóng; jùn mǎ míng zhuī, cháng qí zhī.
There was a beautiful woman named Yu, who enjoyed his favour and accompanied him, and a fine horse named Zhui, which he always rode.

于是项王乃悲歌慷慨，自为诗曰：“力拔山兮气盖世，时不利兮骓不逝。骓不逝兮可奈何，虞兮虞兮奈若何！” yú shì xiàng wáng nǎi bēi gē kāng kǎi, zì wéi shī yuē: “lì bá shān xī qì gài shì, shí bù lì xī zhuī bù shì. zhuī bù shì xī kě nài hé, yú xī yú xī nài ruò hé!”
Then King Xiang sang in grief and great feeling, composing these words: “My strength uproots mountains; my spirit surpasses the age. The times turn against me; Zhui will not go. If Zhui will not go, what can be done? Yu, Yu, what can I do for you?”

歌数阕，美人和之。 gē shù què, měi rén hè zhī.
He sang several times through, and the woman sang in response.

项王泣数行下，左右皆泣，莫能仰视。 xiàng wáng qì shù háng xià, zuǒ yòu jiē qì, mò néng yǎng shì.
Tears ran down King Xiang's face in several streams. All his attendants wept, and none could look up.

于是项王乃上马骑，麾下壮士骑从者八百余人，直夜溃围南出，驰走。 yú shì xiàng wáng nǎi shàng mǎ qí, huī xià zhuàng shì qí cóng zhě bā bǎi yú rén, zhí yè kuì wéi nán chū, chí zǒu.
King Xiang mounted, and more than eight hundred fighting men under his command followed on horseback. In the night they broke through the encirclement to the south and galloped away.

平明，汉军乃觉之，令骑将灌婴以五千骑追之。 píng míng, hàn jūn nǎi jué zhī, lìng jì jiàng guàn yīng yǐ wǔ qiān jì zhuī zhī.
At daybreak the Han army discovered the escape and ordered the cavalry commander Guan Ying to pursue with five thousand riders.

项王渡淮，骑能属者百余人耳。 xiàng wáng dù huái, jì néng zhǔ zhě bǎi yú rén ěr.
King Xiang crossed the Huai; only a hundred or so riders could keep up.

项王至阴陵，迷失道，问一田父，田父绐曰：“左。” xiàng wáng zhì yīn líng, mí shī dào, wèn yī tián fǔ, tián fǔ dài yuē: “zuǒ.”
At Yinling he lost his way and asked a farmer, who deceived him by saying, “Left.”

左，乃陷大泽中，以故汉追及之。 zuǒ, nǎi xiàn dà zé zhōng, yǐ gù hàn zhuī jí zhī.
He went left and became trapped in a great marsh, allowing the Han pursuers to catch up.

项王乃复引兵而东，至东城，乃有二十八骑。 xiàng wáng nǎi fù yǐn bīng ér dōng, zhì dōng chéng, nǎi yǒu èr shí bā jì.
King Xiang led his troops east again. By the time he reached Dongcheng, only twenty-eight riders remained.

汉骑追者数千人。 hàn jì zhuī zhě shù qiān rén.
The Han cavalry pursuing them numbered several thousand.

项王自度不得脱，谓其骑曰：“吾起兵至今八岁矣，身七十余战，所当者破，所击者服，未尝败北，遂霸有天下。 xiàng wáng zì duó bù dé tuō, wèi qí jì yuē: “wú qǐ bīng zhì jīn bā suì yǐ, shēn qī shí yú zhàn, suǒ dāng zhě pò, suǒ jī zhě fú, wèi cháng bài běi, suì bà yǒu tiān xià.
King Xiang judged that he could not escape and told his riders, “It has been eight years since I raised an army. I have fought more than seventy battles in person, breaking every force I faced and subduing every enemy I struck. I have never fled in defeat, and so I gained mastery of the realm.

然今卒困于此，此天之亡我，非战之罪也。 rán jīn zú kùn yú cǐ, cǐ tiān zhī wáng wǒ, fēi zhàn zhī zuì yě.
Yet now I am trapped here at last. Heaven is destroying me; my fighting is not at fault.

今日固决死，愿为诸君快战，必三胜之，为诸君溃围、斩将、刈旗，令诸君知天亡我，非战之罪也。” jīn rì gù jué sǐ, yuàn wèi zhū jūn kuài zhàn, bì sān shèng zhī, wèi zhū jūn kuì wéi, zhǎn jiàng, yì qí, lìng zhū jūn zhī tiān wáng wǒ, fēi zhàn zhī zuì yě.”
Today I am resolved to die. Let me fight a satisfying battle for you. I shall win three times, break their ring, kill a commander and cut down a banner, so that you will know Heaven is destroying me and my fighting is not at fault.”

乃分其骑以为四队，四向。 nǎi fēn qí jì yǐ wéi sì duì, sì xiàng.
He divided his riders into four groups, facing four directions.

汉军围之数重。 hàn jūn wéi zhī shù chóng.
The Han army surrounded them in several rings.

项王谓其骑曰：“吾为公取彼一将。” xiàng wáng wèi qí jì yuē: “wú wèi gōng qǔ bǐ yī jiàng.”
King Xiang told his riders, “I shall take that commander for you.”

令四面骑驰下，期山东为三处。 lìng sì miàn jì chí xià, qī shān dōng wéi sān chù.
He ordered the riders on all four sides to gallop down, arranging to meet in three groups east of the hill.

于是项王大呼驰下，汉军皆披靡，遂斩汉一将。 yú shì xiàng wáng dà hū chí xià, hàn jūn jiē pī mǐ, suì zhǎn hàn yī jiàng.
King Xiang charged downhill with a great shout. The Han troops scattered, and he killed a Han commander.

是时，赤泉侯为骑将，追项王，项王瞋目而叱之，赤泉侯人马俱惊，辟易数里。 shì shí, chì quán hóu wéi jì jiàng, zhuī xiàng wáng, xiàng wáng chēn mù ér chì zhī, chì quán hóu rén mǎ jù jīng, bì yì shù lǐ.
The Marquis of Chiquan was then a cavalry commander pursuing him. King Xiang glared and shouted at him; both the marquis and his horse took fright and fell back several li.

与其骑会为三处。 yǔ qí jì huì wéi sān chù.
He rejoined his riders in three groups.

汉军不知项王所在，乃分军为三，复围之。 hàn jūn bù zhī xiàng wáng suǒ zài, nǎi fēn jūn wéi sān, fù wéi zhī.
The Han troops did not know where King Xiang was, so they divided into three forces and surrounded them again.

项王乃驰，复斩汉一都尉，杀数十百人，复聚其骑，亡其两骑耳。 xiàng wáng nǎi chí, fù zhǎn hàn yī dū wèi, shā shù shí bǎi rén, fù jù qí jì, wáng qí liǎng jì ěr.
King Xiang charged again, killed another Han commandant and scores of men, then gathered his riders once more. He had lost only two.

乃谓其骑曰：“何如？”骑皆伏曰：“如大王言。” nǎi wèi qí jì yuē: “hé rú?” jì jiē fú yuē: “rú dà wáng yán.”
He asked his riders, “How was that?” They all bowed and said, “As Your Majesty said.”

于是项王乃欲东渡乌江。 yú shì xiàng wáng nǎi yù dōng dù wū jiāng.
King Xiang now intended to cross eastward at Wujiang.

乌江亭长檥船待，谓项王曰：“江东虽小，地方千里，众数十万人，亦足王也。 wū jiāng tíng zhǎng yǐ chuán dài, wèi xiàng wáng yuē: “jiāng dōng suī xiǎo, dì fāng qiān lǐ, zhòng shù shí wàn rén, yì zú wàng yě.
The headman at Wujiang had brought a boat to the bank and was waiting. He told King Xiang, “Though the land east of the river is small, it extends a thousand li and has several hundred thousand people. It is enough to rule as king.

愿大王急渡。今独臣有船，汉军至，无以渡。” yuàn dà wáng jí dù. jīn dú chén yǒu chuán, hàn jūn zhì, wú yǐ dù.”
Please cross at once, Your Majesty. Only I have a boat here; when the Han army arrives, it will have no way to cross.”

项王笑曰：“天之亡我，我何渡为！ xiàng wáng xiào yuē: “tiān zhī wáng wǒ, wǒ hé dù wéi!
King Xiang laughed and said, “Heaven is destroying me. Why should I cross?

且籍与江东子弟八千人渡江而西，今无一人还，纵江东父兄怜而王我，我何面目见之？ qiě jí yǔ jiāng dōng zǐ dì bā qiān rén dù jiāng ér xī, jīn wú yī rén huán, zòng jiāng dōng fù xiōng lián ér wàng wǒ, wǒ hé miàn mù jiàn zhī?
I, Ji, crossed the river westward with eight thousand young men from east of the river. Now not a single man has returned. Even if their fathers and elders took pity on me and made me king, how could I face them?

纵彼不言，籍独不愧于心乎？” zòng bǐ bù yán, jí dú bù kuì yú xīn hū?”
Even if they said nothing, would I feel no shame in my own heart?”

乃谓亭长曰：“吾知公长者。吾骑此马五岁，所当无敌，尝一日行千里，不忍杀之，以赐公。” nǎi wèi tíng zhǎng yuē: “wú zhī gōng zhǎng zhě. wú qí cǐ mǎ wǔ suì, suǒ dāng wú dí, cháng yī rì xíng qiān lǐ, bù rěn shā zhī, yǐ cì gōng.”
He told the headman, “I know you are a good man. I have ridden this horse for five years; no enemy has withstood it, and it once covered a thousand li in a day. I cannot bear to kill it, so I give it to you.”

乃令骑皆下马步行，持短兵接战。 nǎi lìng jì jiē xià mǎ bù xíng, chí duǎn bīng jiē zhàn.
He ordered all his riders to dismount and fight on foot with short weapons.

独籍所杀汉军数百人。 dú jí suǒ shā hàn jūn shù bǎi rén.
Ji alone killed several hundred Han soldiers.

项王身亦被十余创。 xiàng wáng shēn yì bèi shí yú chuāng.
King Xiang himself also suffered more than ten wounds.

顾见汉骑司马吕马童，曰：“若非吾故人乎？” gù jiàn hàn jì sī mǎ lǚ mǎ tóng, yuē: “ruò fēi wú gù rén hū?”
Turning, he saw Lü Matong, a cavalry officer of Han, and said, “Are you not an old acquaintance of mine?”

马童面之，指王翳曰：“此项王也。” mǎ tóng miàn zhī, zhǐ wáng yì yuē: “cǐ xiàng wáng yě.”
Matong faced him and pointed him out to Wang Yi, saying, “This is King Xiang.”

项王乃曰：“吾闻汉购我头千金，邑万户，吾为若德。” xiàng wáng nǎi yuē: “wú wén hàn gòu wǒ tóu qiān jīn, yì wàn hù, wú wèi ruò dé.”
King Xiang said, “I hear Han offers a thousand in gold and a fief of ten thousand households for my head. I shall do you this favour.”

乃自刎而死。 nǎi zì wěn ér sǐ.
Then he cut his own throat and died.