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先秦 Pre-Qin · 楚辞 Chu Ci

九歌·国殇

The Fallen for the State (Guo Shang)

屈原

Qu Yuan

战争/徭役war, corvee 祭祀/颂赞sacrifice, eulogy

操吴戈兮被犀甲，车错毂兮短兵接。
旌蔽日兮敌若云，矢交坠兮士争先。
凌余阵兮躐余行，左骖殪兮右刃伤。
霾两轮兮絷四马，援玉枹兮击鸣鼓。
天时怼兮威灵怒，严杀尽兮弃原野。
出不入兮往不反，平原忽兮路超远。
带长剑兮挟秦弓，首身离兮心不惩。
诚既勇兮又以武，终刚强兮不可凌。
身既死兮神以灵，魂魄毅兮为鬼雄。

We grasp Wu halberds and don rhinoceros-armor; our chariots lock hubs, short blades meet.
Banners blot the sun, the foe like clouds; arrows cross and fall, our warriors vie to be first.
They charge our ranks and trample our lines; the left trace-horse falls, the right takes the blade's wound.
We bury the two wheels and tether the four horses; we raise the jade drumstick and beat the sounding drum.
Heaven's time turns harsh, the mighty spirits rage; the stern slaughter ends, the dead abandoned on the open plain.
We went out never to return, forward never to come back; the plain stretches vast, the road far beyond.
Girt with long swords and armed with Qin bows, though head and body part, the heart is not cowed.
Truly they were brave and also martial; to the end steadfast, impossible to subdue.
Though the body is dead, the spirit lives; their souls are resolute, chiefs among the ghosts.

Listen

Meaning

We hold Wu-halberds and wear rhinoceros armor; the chariots' hubs interlock and short weapons clash. Banners hide the sun and the enemy is like clouds; arrows fall crossing in the air, and our soldiers rush to be first. The enemy breaks into our array and tramples our ranks; the left trace-horse dies and the right is wounded by the blade. We sink the two wheels and bind the four horses, raise the jade drumstick and strike the ringing drum. Heaven's appointed time turns against us and the spirits are wrathful; the grim killing is done and the slain are left on the wild plain. We went out and did not enter again, went forth and did not return; the plain is dim and the road far away. Girded with long swords and bearing Qin bows, though head and body are severed the heart is not subdued. Truly they were both brave and martial; to the last firm and strong, beyond crushing. The body dies but the spirit becomes numinous; their souls are steadfast and they are heroes among ghosts.

手持吴地戈啊身披犀牛皮甲，敌我车轮交错啊短兵相接。旌旗遮蔽太阳啊敌兵多如云，箭矢交坠啊战士奋勇争先。侵犯我阵啊践踏我行伍，左骖马倒毙啊右骖受刀伤。埋住两轮啊绊住四马，举起玉槌啊擂响战鼓。天怨时乖啊威神震怒，残酷厮杀净尽啊尸弃旷野。出征不复返啊一去不回还，平原苍茫啊归路遥远。腰悬长剑啊臂挟秦弓，身首分离啊壮心不改。实在既勇武啊又刚健，始终刚强啊不可欺凌。身躯虽死啊精神永存，魂魄坚毅啊是为鬼中英雄。

Appreciation

Guo Shang is one of Qu Yuan's Nine Songs, a ceremonial hymn for the warriors who died for the state. 'Shang' means one who dies young or in the state's service; 'Guo Shang' means the martyrs fallen for the realm. Qu Yuan, exiled between the Yuan and Xiang, made the Nine Songs in the form of Chu local sacrifice songs; Guo Shang alone sings of human ghosts (the rest mostly gods), tied to the historical background of King Huai's repeated defeats by Qin and the countless dead. The poem fervently honors the Chu warriors' brave death and unyielding spirit, both a comfort to the dead and Qu Yuan's deep grief at the falling state and the withering of its champions, a rare firm and solemn work in the Chu Ci.

【白话串讲】 “操吴戈兮被犀甲，车错毂兮短兵接”——屈原写为国战死的将士：手持吴戈，身披犀甲，战车交错，短兵相接。“出不入兮往不反，平原忽兮路超远”——他们出征就没打算回来。这是中国第一首战争英雄颂歌。【意象与手法】本诗突破楚辞常见的飘逸幽婉，以刚健沉雄的笔力写战争全景【情感与主旨】《国殇》是屈原《九歌》中的一篇，为祭祀为国战死将士的乐歌【名句点睛】中高考常考：一、人物形象，分析楚国将士“带长剑兮挟秦弓，首身离兮心不惩”所体现的英勇不屈、视死如归

Background

Guo Shang is one of Qu Yuan's Nine Songs, a ceremonial hymn for the warriors who died for the state in sacrifice. 'Shang' means one who dies young or in the state's service; 'Guo Shang' means the martyrs who gave their lives for the realm. When Qu Yuan was exiled between the Yuan and Xiang, he made the eleven pieces of the Nine Songs on the form of Chu local sacrifice songs, of which Guo Shang alone sings of human ghosts (the rest mostly gods), and it should be linked to the historical background of King Huai's later losses to Qin and the innumerable fallen. The whole poem warmly praises the Chu warriors' brave death and unbending spirit, a comfort to the dead and also holding Qu Yuan's deep grief at the declining state and the withering of its champions, a rare firm and solemn piece in the Chu Ci.

《国殇》是屈原《九歌》中的一篇，也是《九歌》中唯一以现实战争为题材的作品。战国后期，楚国与秦国连年争战，怀王、顷襄王之际屡遭败绩，将士伤亡惨重。屈原作《九歌》以祭祀神灵，而《国殇》一篇独祭为国捐躯的将士——“殇”本指未成年而死或死于非命，国殇即国事而死、为国战死之人。屈原以慷慨悲壮的笔触，描写战斗的惨烈与将士的勇烈，歌颂他们“出不入兮往不反”的视死如归，最后以“身既死兮神以灵，魂魄毅兮为鬼雄”的赞辞作结。这既是对阵亡将士的祭奠与哀悼，也是屈原爱国主义精神与楚人尚武传统的集中体现。楚国当时屡遭强秦侵凌，屈原写此篇，正寓有激励民心、悼念英魂的深意。

Art

The poem breaks the Chu Ci's common floating, elusive grace, writing the full scene of war with a firm, heroic brush. The opening 'We grasp Wu halberds and don rhinoceros-armor' directly spreads the two armies' joining; 'banners blot the sun' and 'the foe like clouds' exaggerate the enemy's mass, 'arrows cross and fall' and 'our warriors vie to be first' write our side's courage, the battle scene is as if present. The middle 'we bury the wheels' and 'raise the jade drumstick' borrow the Zuo Commentary's drumming allusion to write the commander's fight-to-the-death; the last turn moves from narration to eulogy, 'though head and body part, the heart is not cowed' and 'their souls are resolute, chiefs among the ghosts' raising bodily death into undying spirit. In phrasing, the 'xi' particle gives cadence, and three-character short lines fall like drumbeats, the rhythm urgent, the words fervent, strength and tenderness joined, breath swallowing mountains and rivers.

《国殇》艺术上以直赋战争、悲壮慷慨见长，在《九歌》诸篇中风格最为独特。全篇可分三层：首写战斗之惨烈——“操吴戈兮被犀甲，车错毂兮短兵接”以对仗写两军相接，兵车交错、短兵相接；“旌蔽日兮敌若云”以旌旗蔽日、敌众如云写敌势之盛；“矢交坠兮士争先”以箭矢交坠、士卒争先写战斗之激。次写楚军之败亡——“凌余阵兮躐余行”写敌破我阵，“左骖殪兮右刃伤”写战马伤亡，“霾两轮兮絷四马”写车陷泥中，“援玉枹兮击鸣鼓”写主将犹自击鼓；“天时怼兮威灵怒”以天地变色写战斗之悲烈，“严杀尽兮弃原野”写将士尽殁、尸横原野。末写将士之英魂——“出不入兮往不反”写视死如归，“带长剑兮挟秦弓”写虽死不弃兵刃，“首身离兮心不惩”写身首异处而心志不屈，“诚既勇兮又以武，终刚强兮不可凌”以“勇”“武”“刚强”三赞其气，“身既死兮神以灵，魂魄毅兮为鬼雄”以“鬼雄”二字作结，把为国捐躯者推上永恒的精神高度。全篇以赋法铺陈战争，以“兮”字句营造悲壮氛围，层层推进，直至“鬼雄”之赞，悲壮之气充塞天地，是楚辞中写战争与牺牲的千古绝唱。

Allusions

The term 'Guo Shang' was coined by Qu Yuan; 'shang' originally meant death in youth (the Rites: 'nineteen down to sixteen is the elder shang'), which Qu borrowed for those who died for the state, becoming the proper name for mourning martyrs. 'We bury the two wheels and tether the four horses' borrows the Zuo Commentary's battle of An (Cheng year two) 'the horses bolted and could not stop' and 'tethering the horses', to write the commander's resolve to die; 'raise the jade drumstick and beat the sounding drum' also comes from the ancient battlefield's drumming to urge battle. 'Qin bow' means the fine bow of Qin, darkly pointing the Chu-Qin war background. The allusions all fit the military, free of ornate piling, giving the poem historical weight and solemn grandeur.

《国殇》以直赋战争为主，用典不多而精神深植于楚文化传统。“吴戈”指吴地所产之戈，春秋时吴国兵器以锋利著称；“犀甲”指犀牛皮甲，为上古甲胄之精良者；“秦弓”指秦地之弓，秦地以产良弓闻名——以吴戈、犀甲、秦弓写将士装备之精，正是“国之利器”的象征。这些地名器物，皆有实指而非泛设，见出楚人对四方精良兵器的艳称。“魂魄毅兮为鬼雄”之“鬼雄”，则是屈原自铸的奇语——鬼中之雄杰，把战死者的英魂提高到超自然的崇高地位，成为后世悼亡写忠的经典意象。全篇用典不事雕琢，而吴戈、犀甲、秦弓、鬼雄等语，皆成后世写战争、写忠烈的典范语汇。

Commentary

Wang Yi's Chapters of the Chu Ci says: 'Guo Shang means those who died for the state. Qu Yuan, grieved that King Huai was unwise, trusted the petty, and had his army broken and land cut, set a sacrifice to comfort their souls.' Zhu Xi's Collected Notes on the Chu Ci calls it 'a description of war's death and wounds, extremely sorrowful'. The modern You Guoen says Guo Shang 'is the first concentrated song in Chinese literary history praising heroes who died for the state'; its firm breath opened the way for the Jian'an bone and the High-Tang frontier poems.

《国殇》是《九歌》中风格最独特、情感最悲壮的一篇，也是中国文学史上第一篇正面描写战争、礼赞为国牺牲者的作品。历代注家皆以此篇写楚秦战争中的阵亡将士，王逸《楚辞章句》谓“谓死于国事者”，洪兴祖《补注》释“殇”为“无主之鬼”。全篇以“兮”字句铺陈战斗之惨烈，以“诚既勇兮又以武”三赞将士之气，以“魂魄毅兮为鬼雄”总束其精神，慷慨悲壮，气贯长虹。鲁迅评《九歌》“写得这样地苍凉悲壮，这种诗篇，在中国文学史上，是不多见的”。此篇与《国殇》同属祭悼题材，而《国殇》独以“刚强不可凌”之气，把祭悼升华为对民族精神的礼赞，故两千年来，每逢国家危难之际，读此篇者无不热血沸腾，正见其永恒的精神力量。

Prosody

Form Chu Ci, Nine Songs (saoti, the 'xi' ode)楚辞体（《九歌》杂言）

Rhyme armor, join (ye); clouds, first (wen, zhen); lines, wounded, horses, drum (yang, yu); rage, plain, return, far (yu); bow, cowed, subdue, chief (zheng, dong). The 'xi' particle marks the caesura《国殇》以“兮”字句为主，句式错落，两句一韵或数句一转。用韵如“甲、接”（叶韵）、“云、先”（文部）、“行、伤”（阳部）、“马、鼓”（鱼部）、“怒、野”（鱼部）、“反、远”（元部）、“弓、惩、凌、雄”（蒸部），随声情转折而换韵，音节急促而悲壮。

Tone pattern Saoti phrasing, 'xi' dividing the rhythm, tone relatively free楚辞体以“兮”字为声调特征，此篇“兮”字置于句腰，句式多为“三言——兮——三言”（如“操吴戈兮被犀甲”），或“三言——兮——四言”，节奏短促顿挫，如闻战鼓、如见奔雷。全篇以“兮”字句铺陈战斗，一气呵成，声情激越，正是“悲壮”二字的声化。

Reading note A rare military, firm work in the Chu Ci; the 'xi' particle falls like drumbeats.《国殇》是《九歌》中唯一不以祭祀神灵而以凭吊将士为内容的篇章，体制上与其他九篇不同，情感也最为悲壮。楚辞体“兮”字句，在此篇中化柔为刚：多数《九歌》以“兮”字句写神之缥缈、情之缠绵，此篇却以“兮”字句写战之惨烈、气之刚强。“兮”字在句腰，如鼓点般句句顿挫，正合战斗的节奏。全篇十八句，由战斗、败亡、尽殁、礼赞四层推进，悲壮之气层层加浓，直至“魂魄毅兮为鬼雄”而达于顶点。这种以祭悼写忠烈、以赋法写战争的体式，是屈原的独创，对后世凭吊诗、边塞诗有深远影响。

Line by line

操吴戈兮被犀甲，车错毂兮短兵接。旌蔽日兮敌若云，矢交坠兮士争先。

We grasp Wu halberds, wear rhino hide; chariot wheels clash, short weapons meet. Banners hide the sun, the foe is like clouds; arrows fall thick, our warriors race forward.

手持吴地良戈，身披犀牛铠甲；战车交错碰撞，短兵相接。旌旗遮蔽了日光，敌人多如乌云；箭矢交相坠落，士兵们争先冲杀。

Holding Wu halberds and clad in rhino armor, chariot hubs clash and short weapons join. Banners veil the sun, the foe is like clouds; arrows fall thick, the soldiers press forward.

开篇四句直写两军交锋，以赋法铺陈战斗之惨烈。“操吴戈兮被犀甲”写我军之装备精良——吴戈、犀甲，皆为兵器之精者，起笔即见士气；“车错毂兮短兵接”写战斗之激烈——战车交错、短兵相接，两军已陷于白刃肉搏。“旌蔽日兮敌若云”以“蔽日”“若云”极写敌势之盛，旌旗如林、敌众如云，铺天盖地而来；“矢交坠兮士争先”写我军之勇——箭矢如雨交坠，而士卒犹争先冲杀。四句对仗工整，一写我、一写敌，一写势、一写勇，把战场的惨烈与士卒的勇烈同时呈现，是全篇铺陈战斗的第一层画卷。

The battle. We grasp Wu halberds, wear rhino hide; chariot wheels clash, short weapons meet. Banners hide the sun, the foe is like clouds; arrows fall thick, our warriors race forward. The Wu-halberds-rhino-hide and the chariot-clash-short-weapons and the banners-hide-sun-foe-clouds and the arrows-fall-warriors-race are the opening. To have grasped the halberds would be a grasping; the we-grasp-wu-halberds-wear-rhino-hide-chariot-wheels-clash-short-weapons-meet-banners-hide-the-sun-the-foe-is-like-clouds-arrows-fall-thick-our-warriors-race-forward is the grasping.

凌余阵兮躐余行，左骖殪兮右刃伤。霾两轮兮絷四马，援玉枹兮击鸣鼓。

They break our ranks, trample our lines; the left yoke-horse lies dead, the right is wounded. The two wheels sink deep, the four horses are bound; he raises the jade drumstick and beats the sounding drum.

敌人冲破我们的阵势，践踏我们的队列；左边的骖马被射死，右边的马被刀剑所伤。战车两轮深陷，四马被绊住；主将仍举起玉饰的鼓槌，奋力敲响战鼓。

They break our line and trample our ranks; the left trace-horse is dead, the right cut by blades. Two wheels sink in mud, four horses are tethered; the commander raises the jade drumstick and beats the loud drum.

此四句写楚军之败亡，是战斗由激而衰的转折。“凌余阵兮躐余行”写敌破我阵——“凌”有越之意，“躐”有践之意，敌军横越践踏我军阵线，败势已显；“左骖殪兮右刃伤”写战马伤亡——两骖一死一伤，战车已难驰骋。“霾两轮兮絷四马”写车陷泥中、四马被絷，我军陷于绝境；然而“援玉枹兮击鸣鼓”——主将仍举起玉饰鼓槌，奋力击鼓！这一笔是全段的神光：纵然阵破马伤、车陷绝境，楚军主帅犹自击鼓督战，鼓声不绝，正是“虽败犹战”的悲壮。四句由败写到不屈，把战争的惨烈与楚人的气节同时写出，为下文“出不入兮往不反”的壮烈作了铺垫。

The rout. They break our ranks, trample our lines; the left yoke-horse lies dead, the right is wounded. The two wheels sink deep, the four horses are bound; he raises the jade drumstick and beats the sounding drum. The break-ranks-trample-lines and the left-horse-dead-right-wounded and the wheels-sink-horses-bound and the raises-drumstick-beats-drum are the turning. To have broken the ranks would be a breaking; the they-break-our-ranks-trample-our-lines-the-left-yoke-horse-lies-dead-the-right-is-wounded-the-two-wheels-sink-deep-the-four-horses-are-bound-he-raises-the-jade-drumstick-and-beats-the-sounding-drum is the breaking.

天时怼兮威灵怒，严杀尽兮弃原野。出不入兮往不反，平原忽兮路超远。

Heaven itself is wrathful, the spirits rage; slaughtered to the last, they are abandoned on the wilds. They went out never to return; the plain stretches far, the road beyond all reach.

天时仿佛怨怒，威灵之神也发怒；残酷的战斗杀戮殆尽，尸骨弃于原野。将士们出而不入、往而不返，平原辽阔，归路何其遥远。

Heaven is angry, the divine spirits rage; slaughtered to the last, they are left on the wild plain. Out they went, never to enter again, gone never to return; the plain is vast, the road beyond all far.

此四句写全军尽殁，是战斗的终结与悲壮的顶点。“天时怼兮威灵怒”以天地变色写战之惨烈——连天时都为之怨怒、神灵都为之震怒，可见杀戮之酷；“严杀尽兮弃原野”直写阵亡之惨——“严杀尽”写残酷杀伐、死伤殆尽，“弃原野”写尸横遍野、无人收葬，惨烈之极。“出不入兮往不反”写将士的视死如归——出征之时便知此去不返，却仍慷慨赴死；“平原忽兮路超远”写归路之渺茫——平原辽阔，回家的路太远太远，而他们再也走不回去。四句由天之怒、地之惨，写到人之壮、路之远，把战死者的命运写得悲壮苍凉，是屈原对牺牲者最深的哀悼。

The fall. Heaven itself is wrathful, the spirits rage; slaughtered to the last, they are abandoned on the wilds. They went out never to return; the plain stretches far, the road beyond all reach. The heaven-wrathful-spirits-rage and the slaughtered-last-abandoned-wilds and the went-never-return and the plain-vast-road-far are the end. To have been wrathful would be a being; the heaven-itself-is-wrathful-the-spirits-rage-slaughtered-to-the-last-they-are-abandoned-on-the-wilds-they-went-out-never-to-return-the-plain-stretches-far-the-road-beyond-all-reach is the being.

带长剑兮挟秦弓，首身离兮心不惩。诚既勇兮又以武，终刚强兮不可凌。身既死兮神以灵，魂魄毅兮为鬼雄。

They bear long swords, carry Qin bows; head from body severed, their hearts never repent. Truly brave and truly martial, ever steadfast, none may violate. The body dies, but the spirit lives on; their dauntless souls are heroes even among ghosts.

身带长剑，腋挟秦弓；虽然身首分离，心中却没有悔恨。确实既勇敢又武艺高强，始终刚强而不可侵犯。身躯虽已死去，神灵却永远显赫；魂魄刚毅，堪称鬼中之雄杰。

Long swords at their waists, Qin bows in their arms; head and body parted, their hearts know no regret. Truly brave and truly valiant, forever stern and unassailable. The body dies, but the spirit is divine; their resolute souls are heroes among ghosts.

末六句礼赞将士之英魂，是全篇情感的高潮与升华。“带长剑兮挟秦弓”写虽死仍携兵器——身首异处，而长剑秦弓犹在，英气不散；“首身离兮心不惩”写死而无悔——“不惩”即不悔，战死而无憾，正是视死如归的极致。“诚既勇兮又以武，终刚强兮不可凌”以“勇”“武”“刚强”三赞其气，一“终”字写其至死不移的气节；“身既死兮神以灵，魂魄毅兮为鬼雄”以“鬼雄”二字收束——身躯虽死，精神不死，魂魄刚毅，为鬼中之雄。从“带长剑”的英姿，到“心不惩”的无悔，再到“鬼雄”的崇高，屈原把为国捐躯者推上了永恒的精神高度，也把祭悼升华为对民族灵魂的礼赞。

The heroes. They bear long swords, carry Qin bows; head from body severed, their hearts never repent. Truly brave and truly martial, ever steadfast, none may violate. The body dies, but the spirit lives on; their dauntless souls are heroes even among ghosts. The long-swords-Qin-bows and the head-body-parted-heart-unrepentant and the brave-martial-steadfast and the body-dies-spirit-lives and the dauntless-souls-ghost-heroes are the hymn. To have borne the swords would be a bearing; the they-bear-long-swords-carry-qin-bows-head-from-body-severed-their-hearts-never-repent-truly-brave-and-truly-martial-ever-steadfast-none-may-violate-the-body-dies-but-the-spirit-lives-on-their-dauntless-souls-are-heroes-even-among-ghosts is the bearing.

Study

Word focus

鬼雄 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “魂魄毅兮为鬼雄”之“鬼雄”，是屈原自铸的奇语，也是全篇的精神焦点。“鬼”写其已死，“雄”写其气概——鬼中之雄杰，把战死者的英魂提高到超自然的崇高地位。这一词打破了“鬼”的阴森，赋予死亡以雄壮的光辉：身虽死，而魂魄为雄。屈原以此赞辞作结，把一场败战、一场屠杀，提升为对民族精神的礼赞。后世“鬼雄”遂成烈士的代称，李清照“生当作人杰，死亦为鬼雄”即承此而来。

不惩 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “首身离兮心不惩”之“不惩”，意为不悔恨、不恐惧，是全诗写将士气节的核心词。“惩”本义戒惧、悔恨，身首异处而“心不惩”——虽死而不悔，虽败而不惧，正见视死如归的气概。一个“不惩”，把将士的壮烈从“勇”提升到“义”的高度：不是为了求生而战，而是明知必死仍慨然赴之，死而无憾。此二字与“终刚强兮不可凌”呼应，写出了楚军虽败而精神不败的深层意蕴。

严杀 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “严杀尽兮弃原野”之“严杀”，意为残酷地杀戮，是写战败之惨的狠笔。“严”本义威严、惨烈，用于“杀”字，写杀伐之酷烈无情；“尽”写死伤殆尽，无一幸免；“弃原野”写尸横荒野、无人收葬。三字连用，把战败的惨状写到极致，字字见血。这一惨象与末段“魂魄毅兮为鬼雄”形成强烈的对照——肉体虽被“严杀尽”弃于原野，精神却化作鬼雄永存天地，正是悲剧的崇高所在。

凌 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. “终刚强兮不可凌”之“凌”，意为侵犯、凌辱，是写将士气节的关纽字。敌军“凌余阵兮躐余行”曾横越我阵，而将士“终刚强兮不可凌”——纵使阵破身死，其精神终不可侵犯凌辱。“凌”字前后呼应：外在的阵势可以被凌，内在的气节终不可凌。这一对比，把“败”与“不屈”统一起来——败的是战阵，不屈的是魂魄。一字之设，正是全篇悲壮精神的凝聚。