Going Out the Passes: First Series
IX
I have been with the army for more than ten years,
you may guess that I’ve done some insignificant deeds.
Most men prize any chance for advantage;
I might speak, but feel shame to be like them.
There is fighting now in the heartland,
and much more with the frontier tribes.
A true man’s concerns are for all the world—
how can I refuse to hold fast in hardship?