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唐 Tang · 诗 Poem

战城南

The, Fighting, South, of, the, City

李白

Li Bai

反战Anti-war 边塞Frontier

去年战，桑乾源；
今年战，葱河道。
洗兵条支海上波，放马天山雪中草。
万里长征战，三军尽衰老。
匈奴以杀戮为耕作，古来唯见白骨黄沙田。
秦家筑城避胡处，汉家还有烽火燃。
烽火燃不息，征战无已时。
野战格斗死，败马号鸣向天悲。
乌鸢啄人肠，衔飞上挂枯树枝。
士卒涂草莽，将军空尔为。
乃知兵者是凶器，圣人不得已而用之。

去年战，桑乾源；今年战，葱河道。
洗兵条支海上波，放马天山雪中草。
万里长征战，三军尽衰老。
匈奴以杀戮为耕作，古来唯见白骨黄沙田。
秦家筑城避胡处，汉家还有烽火燃。
烽火燃不息，征战无已时。
野战格斗死，败马号鸣向天悲。
乌鸢啄人肠，衔飞上挂枯树枝。
士卒涂草莽，将军空尔为。
乃知兵者是凶器，圣人不得已而用之。

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Meaning

A poem of the war and the lament, written by Li Bai. Last year the fighting at the source of the Sang the Qian, this year the fighting on the road of the Cong the River — the war of the opening. The ten thousand li of the long campaigns, the three armies all growing old — the campaigns of the middle. The Xiongnu taking the slaughter as the plowing, from the ancient times only seeing the bones of the yellow sand fields — the lament of the middle. And the close's then one knows the weapons are the instruments of the ill, the sages not having the alternative and using them — the close's truth. The poem is the war and the lament: the fighting, the bones, and the close's truth.

去年战，桑乾源；今年战，葱河道。洗兵条支海上波，放马天山雪中草。万里长征战，三军尽衰老。匈奴以杀戮为耕作，古来唯见白骨黄沙田。秦家筑城避胡处，汉家还有烽火燃。烽火燃不息，征战无已时。野战格斗死，败马号鸣向天悲。乌鸢啄人肠，衔飞上挂枯树枝。士卒涂草莽，将军空尔为。乃知兵者是凶器，圣人不得已而用之。

Appreciation

[Plain Paraphrase] Last, year, the, fighting, at, the, source, of, the, Sang, the, Qian, this, year, the, fighting, on, the, road, of, the, Cong, the, River. Washing, the, weapons, in, the, waves, of, the, sea, of, the, Tiao, the, Zhi, grazing, the, horses, in, the, snow, of, the, grass, of, the, Tianshan. The, ten, thousand, li, of, the, long, campaigns, the, three, armies, all, growing, old. The, Xiongnu, taking, the, slaughter, as, the, plowing, from, the, ancient, times, only, seeing, the, bones, of, the, yellow, sand, fields. The, family, of, the, Qin, building, the, walls, to, avoid, the, barbarians, the, places, the, family, of, the, Han, still, having, the, beacon, fires, burning. The, beacon, fires, burning, not, ceasing, the, campaigns, and, the, wars, having, no, time, of, the, ending. The, field, battles, the, fighting, the, dying, the, defeated, horses, neighing, toward, the, heaven, grieving. The, crows, and, the, kites, pecking, the, intestines, of, the, men, carrying, in, the, beaks, flying, up, hanging, on, the, withered, branches. The, soldiers, dyeing, the, grass, and, the, thickets, the, generals, in, the, vain, doing, thus. Then, one, knows, the, weapons, are, the, instruments, of, the, ill, the, sages, not, having, the, alternative, and, using, them. [Structure and Thought] The poem moves from the war of the Sang and the Cong with the campaigns, through the bones of the yellow sand with the beacon fires, to the close's the truth of the instruments of the ill. [Key Technique] The poem's art is the close of the truth: the beacon fires burning not ceasing the campaigns and the wars having no time of the ending, and the close's then one knows the weapons are the instruments of the ill the sages not having the alternative and using them — the war gathered in the lament and the close's truth. [Emotional Tone] Fierce, lamenting, and wise: the poem is the fighting, the bones and the close's truth.

【白话串讲】李白写《战城南》：“去年战，桑乾源；今年战，葱河道”——“万里长征战，三军尽衰老”——“匈奴以杀戮为耕作，古来唯见白骨黄沙田”——“烽火燃不息，征战无已时”——他写战争的残酷。【意象与手法】此诗写战争的惨烈，以反战写感慨，是李白的名篇。开篇以「去年战，桑乾源；今年战，葱河道」写连年征战，「万里长征战，三军尽衰老」写三军尽老；「匈奴以杀戮为耕作，古来唯见白骨黄沙田」写匈奴以杀戮为耕作，「秦家筑城避胡处，汉家还有烽火燃」写筑城避胡而烽火不息；「野战格斗死，败马号鸣向天悲」写战死沙场，「乌鸢啄人肠，衔飞上挂枯树枝」写尸横遍野、乌鸢啄肠——写尽战争的惨烈；结句「乃知兵者是凶器，圣人不得已而用之」以议论点题——写尽兵为凶器、圣人不得已而用之的反战主旨。全诗以反战写感慨，写尽战争的惨烈与反战的主旨，是李白的代表作。【情感与主旨】此诗写战争的惨烈，以反战写感慨，是李白的名篇。此诗用乐府旧题《战城南》（汉鼓吹铙歌曲），写连年征战给士卒带来的苦难。此诗写战争：去年战，桑乾源；今年战，葱河道——写去年战于桑乾源、今年战于葱河道，写尽连年征战；万里长征战，三军尽衰老——写万里长征、三军尽老；匈奴以杀戮为耕作，古来唯见白骨黄沙田——写匈奴以杀戮为耕作、古来唯见白骨黄沙田；秦家筑城避胡处，汉家还有烽火燃——写秦筑长城避胡、汉家仍有烽火；烽火燃不息，征战无已时——写烽火不息、征战无已；野战格斗死，败马号鸣向天悲——写野战格斗而死、败马号鸣向天悲；乌鸢啄人肠，衔飞上挂枯树枝——写乌鸢啄人肠、衔飞上挂枯树枝；士卒涂草莽，将军空尔为——写士卒涂草莽、将军空尔为；乃知兵者是凶器，圣人不得已而用之——写兵为凶器、圣人不得已而用之。全诗以反战写感慨——那「乌鸢啄人肠」写尽战争的惨烈，「乃知兵者是凶器」写尽反战的主旨，写尽战争的惨烈与反战的主旨，是理解李白反战诗的重要篇章。【名句点睛】常考「去年战，桑乾源；今年战，葱河道」写连年征战；「乌鸢啄人肠，衔飞上挂枯树枝」写战争的惨烈；「乃知兵者是凶器，圣人不得已而用之」写反战的主旨；以及全诗以反战写感慨、以议论点题的手法。

Background

Li Bai (701-762), the great poet of the Tang, wrote this 'The, Fighting, South, of, the, City' of the war and the lament — the lament of the war in the yue fu of the ancient. The war of the Sang and the Cong, and the close's the truth of the instruments of the ill — the poem gathers the lament of the poet, the wisdom of the ages. The poem is one of the famous works of the poet's poems of the war.

此诗写战争的惨烈，以反战写感慨，是李白的名篇。李白（701—762），字太白，号青莲居士，唐代伟大的浪漫主义诗人，人称「诗仙」。此诗用乐府旧题《战城南》（汉鼓吹铙歌曲十八曲之一），写连年征战给士卒带来的苦难。此诗写战争：「去年战，桑乾源；今年战，葱河道」写去年战于桑乾源、今年战于葱河道——写尽连年征战；「洗兵条支海上波，放马天山雪中草」写洗兵条支海上、放马天山雪中——写尽征战之远；「万里长征战，三军尽衰老」写万里长征、三军尽老——写尽征战的持久；「匈奴以杀戮为耕作，古来唯见白骨黄沙田」写匈奴以杀戮为耕作、古来唯见白骨黄沙田——写尽边地白骨；「秦家筑城避胡处，汉家还有烽火燃」写秦筑长城避胡、汉家仍有烽火——写尽筑城不能止战；「烽火燃不息，征战无已时」写烽火不息、征战无已——写尽征战的无已；「野战格斗死，败马号鸣向天悲」写野战格斗而死、败马号鸣向天悲——写尽战死的惨烈；「乌鸢啄人肠，衔飞上挂枯树枝」写乌鸢啄人肠、衔飞上挂枯树枝——写尽尸横遍野；「士卒涂草莽，将军空尔为」写士卒涂草莽、将军空尔为——写尽士卒牺牲而将军无功；「乃知兵者是凶器，圣人不得已而用之」写兵为凶器、圣人不得已而用之——写尽反战的主旨。全诗以反战写感慨，写尽战争的惨烈与反战的主旨，是理解李白反战诗的重要篇章。

Art

The poem's art is the art of the truth. The war opens: last, year, the, fighting, at, the, source, of, the, Sang, the, Qian — the fighting of the Sang the Qian; this, year, the, fighting, on, the, road, of, the, Cong, the, River — the fighting of the Cong the River; washing, the, weapons, in, the, waves, of, the, sea, of, the, Tiao, the, Zhi — the washing of the weapons of the waves; grazing, the, horses, in, the, snow, of, the, grass, of, the, Tianshan — the grazing of the horses of the snow; the, ten, thousand, li, of, the, long, campaigns — the long campaigns of the ten thousand li; the, three, armies, all, growing, old — the three armies of the growing old. The lament follows: the, Xiongnu, taking, the, slaughter, as, the, plowing — the Xiongnu of the slaughter as the plowing; from, the, ancient, times, only, seeing, the, bones, of, the, yellow, sand, fields — the bones of the yellow sand; the, family, of, the, Qin, building, the, walls, to, avoid, the, barbarians, the, places — the walls of the Qin; the, family, of, the, Han, still, having, the, beacon, fires, burning — the beacon fires of the Han; the, beacon, fires, burning, not, ceasing — the beacon fires of the not ceasing; the, campaigns, and, the, wars, having, no, time, of, the, ending — the wars of the no ending; the, field, battles, the, fighting, the, dying — the field battles of the dying; the, defeated, horses, neighing, toward, the, heaven, grieving — the defeated horses of the grieving; the, crows, and, the, kites, pecking, the, intestines, of, the, men — the crows and the kites of the pecking; carrying, in, the, beaks, flying, up, hanging, on, the, withered, branches — the carrying of the hanging on the branches; the, soldiers, dyeing, the, grass, and, the, thickets — the soldiers of the dyeing the grass; the, generals, in, the, vain, doing, thus — the generals of the in vain. And the close gathers the truth: then, one, knows, the, weapons, are, the, instruments, of, the, ill — the weapons of the instruments of the ill; the, sages, not, having, the, alternative, and, using, them — the sages of the using them — the war, the lament and the close's truth, gathered in the poem.

此诗的艺术特色可从四个方面解析。其一，以复沓写征战。「去年战，桑乾源；今年战，葱河道」以复沓写征战——那「去年战」「今年战」的复沓写尽连年征战，以复沓写尽征战的频繁。其二，以对比写惨烈。「秦家筑城避胡处，汉家还有烽火燃」以对比写惨烈——那秦家筑城避胡而汉家仍有烽火，以筑城与烽火的对比写尽征战的无已。其三，以白描写惨状。「乌鸢啄人肠，衔飞上挂枯树枝」以白描写惨状——那乌鸢啄肠、衔飞上挂的描写写尽尸横遍野的惨状，以白描写尽战争的惨烈。其四，以议论点题。结句「乃知兵者是凶器，圣人不得已而用之」以议论点题——那「兵者是凶器」「不得已而用之」的议论写尽反战的主旨，以议论写尽战争的反战主题。四重手法，使此诗以反战写感慨，写尽战争的惨烈与反战的主旨，是李白的代表作。再从结构上看，此诗由远及近、由昔及今，层层推进：起笔写连年征战的战场之广（去年战，桑乾源；今年战，葱河道），继写三军尽老的征战之久（万里长征战，三军尽衰老），再写白骨黄沙田的边地之惨（匈奴以杀戮为耕作），又写筑城不能止战的烽火之不息（秦家筑城避胡处，汉家还有烽火燃），复写乌鸢啄肠的尸骸之惨，终以议论点题（乃知兵者是凶器）。这种由战场而白骨、由白骨而尸骸、由尸骸而议论的层层递进，正见李白反战立意的层层深入。

Allusions

'The Sang the Qian' (sang qian) is the Sang the Qian — the source of the Sang, the fighting of the opening; 'the Tiao the Zhi' (tiao zhi) is the Tiao the Zhi — the sea of the Tiao, the washing of the middle; 'the Tianshan' (tian shan) is the Tianshan — the mountain of the heaven, the grazing of the middle; 'the instruments of the ill' (xiong qi) are the instruments of the ill — the instruments of the ill, the close of the poem — the words of the Dao De Jing: 'the weapons are the instruments of the ill'.

此诗的用语深植于反战与边塞的传统。「去年战，桑乾源；今年战，葱河道」令人想到「桑乾」写桑干河（边地）的意象——「可怜无定河边骨」，也令人想到「葱河」写葱岭河（西域）的意象——写尽征战之远；「洗兵条支海上波」令人想到「洗兵」写洗兵于海的典故——「武王伐纣，东面而迎岁，至氾而水，洗兵于行」，也令人想到「条支」写西域条支国的意象；「放马天山雪中草」令人想到「天山」写天山的意象——「天山雪云常不开」，也令人想到「放马」写放马的意象；「万里长征战，三军尽衰老」令人想到「长征」写长征的意象，也令人想到「三军尽衰老」写三军尽老的意象；「匈奴以杀戮为耕作」令人想到「匈奴」写匈奴的意象——「匈奴未灭，何以家为」，也令人想到「以杀戮为耕作」写杀戮如耕作的意象——写尽匈奴的残暴；「古来唯见白骨黄沙田」令人想到「白骨」写白骨的意象——「白骨露于野」（曹操），也令人想到「黄沙田」写黄沙的意象；「秦家筑城避胡处」令人想到「筑城」写秦筑长城的典故——「秦家筑城备胡处」，也令人想到「避胡」写避胡的意象；「汉家还有烽火燃」令人想到「烽火」写烽火的意象——「烽火连三月」（杜甫），也令人想到「汉家」写汉朝的意象；「烽火燃不息，征战无已时」令人想到「烽火燃不息」写烽火不息的意象，也令人想到「征战无已时」写征战无已的意象；「野战格斗死」令人想到「野战」写野战的意象，也令人想到「格斗死」写格斗而死的意象；「败马号鸣向天悲」令人想到「败马」写败军之马的意象，也令人想到「号鸣向天悲」写号鸣向天的意象；「乌鸢啄人肠，衔飞上挂枯树枝」令人想到「乌鸢」写乌鸦老鹰的意象——汉乐府《战城南》「枭骑战斗死，驽马徘徊鸣」，也令人想到「啄人肠」写啄人肠的意象——写尽尸横遍野；「士卒涂草莽」令人想到「士卒」写士卒的意象，也令人想到「涂草莽」写血涂草莽的意象；「将军空尔为」令人想到「将军」写将军的意象——「一将功成万骨枯」，也令人想到「空尔为」写空自如此的意象；「乃知兵者是凶器，圣人不得已而用之」令人想到「兵者凶器」的典故——《老子》「兵者不祥之器，非君子之器，不得已而用之」，也令人想到「不得已而用之」写不得已的意象——写尽反战的主旨。全诗化用洗兵、筑城、烽火、乌鸢、兵者凶器的典故与意象，以反战写感慨，正是李白「豪放飘逸」而兼用乐府旧题、承反战传统写感慨的本领。

Commentary

This poem is one of the famous works of Li Bai's poems of the war, quoted for the fierceness of its opening and the wisdom of its close. The bones of the yellow sand, and the instruments of the ill, are among the admired passages of the poet's poems. Critics praise the poem's lament: the war gathered in the bones, to the close's truth.

此诗历来被推为李白反战诗的名篇，也是唐人乐府写战争的代表。历代论者对此诗评价极高：清人评此诗「以反战写感慨，惨烈沉痛」；近人更指出「乌鸢啄人肠，衔飞上挂枯树枝」写战争的惨烈，「乃知兵者是凶器，圣人不得已而用之」写反战的主旨，是此诗的名句。在诗歌史上，此诗的特殊价值在于：它以二十余句的乐府写尽战争的惨烈与反战的主旨——那连年征战的桑乾源、葱河道，那洗兵的条支海，那放马的天山雪，那尽老的三军，那以杀戮为耕作的匈奴，那白骨黄沙田，那筑城避胡的秦家，那烽火燃的汉家，那格斗死的野战，那号鸣向天的败马，那啄人肠的乌鸢，那上挂枯枝的肠，那涂草莽的士卒，那空尔为的将军，都写尽了李白对战争的惨烈与反战的感慨；那「乃知兵者是凶器，圣人不得已而用之」更以议论点题，写尽反战的主旨。此诗与汉乐府《战城南》（「枭骑战斗死，驽马徘徊鸣」）同为战城南古题，一写「枭骑战斗死」的悲壮，一写「乌鸢啄人肠」的惨烈；又与《老子》「兵者不祥之器」的思想一脉相承，可见中国文学反战的传统。对于今日读者，此诗是理解李白反战思想的窗口，也是中国诗写战争的经典——那上挂枯枝的肠，穿越千年，仍在诉说着战争的惨烈与反战的呼唤。

Prosody

Form A yue fu of the war (yue fu ge xing)诗·乐府（战城南）

Rhyme The poem rhymes on the level of the group — the cadence of the yue fu that carries the fierce lament.乐府古题，转韵（道、草、老、田、燃、时、悲、枝、为、之），音节悲壮

Tone pattern The cadence is that of the truth: the level opening with the war, the turning with the lament, and the close's fall with the using.此诗为乐府古题，多次转韵，音节悲壮，正合反战感慨的悲壮。

Reading note The poem's sound matches its lament: the cadences of the yue fu, and the close — 'sheng ren bu de yi er yong zhi' — falls with the using, the sound of the wisdom of the war poet.此诗为乐府古题《战城南》，以「去年战，桑乾源；今年战，葱河道」起，全诗多次转韵——「道、草、老」为一段，「田、燃」为一段，「时、悲、枝、为」为一段，「之」为收束，转韵处正合情感的转折，音节悲壮。全诗以反战写感慨：开篇写连年征战（去年战，桑乾源；今年战，葱河道；万里长征战，三军尽衰老），中段写边地白骨与烽火（匈奴以杀戮为耕作，古来唯见白骨黄沙田；秦家筑城避胡处，汉家还有烽火燃），继写战死惨状（野战格斗死，败马号鸣向天悲；乌鸢啄人肠，衔飞上挂枯树枝），结句以议论点题（乃知兵者是凶器，圣人不得已而用之）。诵读此诗，宜以悲壮的语调读「去年战，桑乾源」的连年征战，以惨烈的语调读「乌鸢啄人肠」的惨状，结句「乃知兵者是凶器」要读得沉痛而有力，方能传达出李白的反战感慨。李白乐府以「豪放飘逸」著称，此诗正是其反战乐府的典范。

Line by line

乌鸢啄人肠，衔飞上挂枯树枝

Ravens and kites peck at men's entrails, fly up with them, hang them on the withered branches.

乌鸦老鹰啄食人的肠子，衔着飞上挂在枯树枝上。

Crows and kites peck at men's bowels, carry them off in flight, hang them on the withered branches.

此二句是全诗写惨烈的核心，以乌鸢啄肠写尸横遍野，写尽战争的惨烈，是千古名句。「乌鸢啄人肠」写乌鸦老鹰啄食人的肠子——那「乌鸢」写乌鸦老鹰，「啄人肠」写啄食人的肠子，写尽尸横遍野；「衔飞上挂枯树枝」写衔着飞上挂在枯树枝上——那「衔飞」写衔着飞，「上挂枯树枝」写上挂枯树枝，写尽战死者的惨状。这句的深意在于：它以「乌鸢啄人肠」的啄肠与「衔飞上挂枯树枝」的上挂，写尽战争的惨烈——乌鸦老鹰啄食人的肠子，那「乌鸢啄人肠」写尽尸横遍野——战场上尸横遍野，乌鸢争啄人肠，那「啄人肠」写尽战死者的惨状；衔着飞上挂在枯树枝上，那「衔飞上挂枯树枝」写尽尸骸的惨状——乌鸢衔着人肠，飞上枯树枝而悬挂，那「上挂枯树枝」写尽尸骸暴露的惨状；那「乌鸢啄人肠」写尽尸横遍野，那「衔飞上挂枯树枝」写尽尸骸暴露，一写啄肠，一写上挂，写尽战争的惨烈——这正是「一将功成万骨枯」的具象化，也是李白以白描写尽战争惨烈的核心；此二句以乌鸢啄肠写尽战争的惨烈，也让此二句成为全诗写惨烈的核心与千古名句。若换作直说「战场上死了很多人」，则失其惨烈；唯以「乌鸢啄人肠」写啄肠、「衔飞上挂枯树枝」写上挂，写尽战争的惨烈，也让此二句成为全诗写惨烈的核心。

These two lines are the core of the poem's battlefield horror - a famous line. 'Ravens and kites peck at men's entrails' the corpses covering the field; 'fly up with them, hang them on the withered branches' the ghastly remains. The kites pecking the entrails, flying off to hang them on dead branches - the literal image behind 'one general's fame, ten thousand bones,' Li Bai's plain writing of war's cruelty.

乃知兵者是凶器，圣人不得已而用之

Then one knows: weapons are instruments of ill; the sage uses them only when he cannot help it.

才知道兵器是凶器，圣人不得已才使用它。

Thus one learns that arms are instruments of evil, which the sage employs only when he has no choice.

此二句是全诗的主旨，以议论点题写反战，写尽反战的主旨，是千古名句。「乃知兵者是凶器」写才知道兵器是凶器——那「乃知」写才知，「兵者是凶器」写兵器是凶器（用《老子》「兵者不祥之器」），写尽兵为凶器；「圣人不得已而用之」写圣人不得已才使用它——那「圣人」写圣人，「不得已而用之」写不得已而使用，写尽不得已的反战。这句的深意在于：它以「兵者是凶器」的凶器与「圣人不得已而用之」的不得已，写尽反战的主旨——才知道兵器是凶器，那「兵者是凶器」写尽兵为凶器——兵器是凶器，是杀戮之器，那「凶器」写尽兵器的凶残；圣人不得已才使用它，那「圣人不得已而用之」写尽不得已的反战——圣人（圣明的君主）非到万不得已不发动战争，那「不得已而用之」写尽反战的主旨；那「兵者是凶器」写尽兵器的凶残，那「圣人不得已而用之」写尽不得已的反战，一写凶器，一写不得已，写尽反战的主旨——这正是全诗的画龙点睛：上文写尽战争的惨烈（乌鸢啄人肠、白骨黄沙田），结句以议论点题，写尽「兵者凶器、不得已而用之」的反战主旨；此二句以议论点题写尽反战的主旨，也让此二句成为全诗主旨的千古名句。若换作直说「战争不好」，则失其警策；唯以「兵者是凶器」写凶器、「圣人不得已而用之」写不得已，写尽反战的主旨，也让此二句成为全诗的主旨。

These two lines are the poem's thesis, the commentary striking the anti-war note - a famous line. 'Then one knows: weapons are instruments of ill' adapting Laozi's 'arms are inauspicious tools'; 'the sage uses them only when he cannot help it.' The battlefield's cruelty written out above, the closing judgment: arms are murderous tools, the sage-warlord takes them up only in the last resort - the poem's painted-fin stroke.

Study

Word focus

耕作 A key expression in the poem. Read it as an image, mood, or grammar point in context. 「匈奴以杀戮为耕作」之「耕作」是写残暴的关键词，一个「耕作」写尽匈奴以杀戮为耕作的残暴。耕作本指耕种，而李白以「以杀戮为耕作」写匈奴，这个「耕作」至少有双重意味：其一，写残暴之甚——那「匈奴以杀戮为耕作」写匈奴以杀戮为耕作，那「耕作」写尽杀戮如耕作的残暴——匈奴不事耕作，而以杀戮为耕作，把杀戮当作耕作，那「耕作」写尽残暴的习以为常；其二，写悲愤之深——那「耕作」更是写悲愤——以杀戮为耕作，正是边地白骨黄沙田的根源，那「耕作」写尽对残暴的悲愤。以「耕作」写残暴，正是李白写边患的枢纽——若换作「杀伐」「杀戮」等词，则或失其与「为耕作」的反讽，或失其写以杀戮为耕作的凝练；唯「耕作」二字，以杀戮如耕作写尽匈奴的残暴与边患的深重，与「古来唯见白骨黄沙田」的白骨相合，写尽战争的惨烈，也让「匈奴以杀戮为耕作」成为全诗写边患的名句。

凶器 'The, instruments, of, the, ill' — the instruments of the ill, the weapons of the close. 「乃知兵者是凶器」之「凶器」是写兵器的关键词，一个「凶器」写尽兵为凶器的反战主旨。凶器者，凶残之器也。李白以「兵者是凶器」写兵器，这个「凶器」至少有双重意味：其一，写兵器之凶——那「乃知兵者是凶器」写才知道兵器是凶器，那「凶器」写尽兵器的凶残——兵器是凶器，是杀戮之器，那「凶器」写尽兵器的凶残；其二，写反战之旨——那「凶器」更是写反战——兵为凶器，故圣人不得已而用之，那「凶器」写尽反战的主旨。以「凶器」写兵器，正是李白点题反战的枢纽——若换作「不祥之器」「杀人之器」等词，则或失其与《老子》「兵者不祥之器」的呼应，或失其写凶器的凝练；唯「凶器」二字，以兵器为凶器写尽兵器的凶残与反战的主旨，与「圣人不得已而用之」的不得已相合，写尽反战的主旨，也让「乃知兵者是凶器」成为全诗主旨的名句。

战城南