Calculation#
Sun Tzu said:
War is a matter of the state,
the place of life and death, the way to survival or extinction,
it must not be neglected.
Therefore, it is governed by five factors:
First is the Way, second is Heaven, third is Earth, fourth is the General, and fifth is the Law.
The Way is to ensure the people are in agreement with their leaders, thus they can live or die together without betrayal;
Heaven refers to the yin and yang, cold and heat, and seasonal changes;
Earth refers to the high and low, wide and narrow, far and near, dangerous and easy, life and death;
The General refers to wisdom, trust, benevolence, courage, and strictness;
The Law refers to the organization, the military structure, and the command system.
All five of these factors are known to generals; those who understand them will win, and those who do not will lose.
Thus, one must assess the situation using calculations and inquire:
Who has the Way?
Who has the ability?
Who has the advantage of Heaven and Earth?
Who has the Law in effect?
Who has the stronger army?
Who has the more experienced soldiers?
Who has clear rewards and punishments?
From this, I can know victory or defeat.
If the General listens to my strategy, he will surely win; if he does not listen, he will surely lose.
Calculating benefits leads to strategy, which assists in external matters;
Strategy is the power derived from benefits; war is a matter of deception.
Thus, one can appear weak when strong, and strong when weak;
appear far when near, and near when far;
entice with benefits, and take advantage of chaos;
prepare thoroughly, and avoid confrontation when strong;
anger the enemy and confuse them, appear humble and make them arrogant;
exhaust them while they are at ease, and create distance while they are close;
attack where they are unprepared, and strike when they least expect it;
this is the victory of the military, which cannot be disclosed in advance.
Those who win before the battle are those who have calculated well;
those who do not win before the battle have calculated poorly.
More calculations lead to victory, fewer calculations lead to defeat, and what of no calculations at all?
From this perspective, victory and defeat become clear.
Warfare#
Sun Tzu said:
In all military operations,
if you have a thousand chariots, a thousand carts, a hundred thousand armored soldiers, and a thousand miles of supply lines;
then the costs of internal and external affairs, the needs of guests, the materials for construction, and the maintenance of chariots and armor will cost thousands of gold daily;
only then can an army of a hundred thousand be mobilized.
In battle, victory is achieved;
but prolonged warfare dulls weapons and weakens strength, and attacking cities exhausts resources, leading to national depletion.
Dull weapons and weakened strength, exhausted resources, will allow the feudal lords to take advantage of the situation, and even the wise cannot manage the aftermath.
Thus, the military values swift action; it has never seen prolonged cleverness;
there has never been a case where prolonged warfare benefits the state.
Therefore, those who do not fully understand the harms of warfare cannot grasp its benefits.
A good military leader does not rely on repeated drafts, does not hoard supplies for three years, takes what is needed from the state, and relies on the enemy for provisions, thus ensuring the army is well-fed.
A state that is poor in military resources will suffer from distant supplies, leading to impoverished citizens;
those close to the army will sell at high prices, leading to the depletion of wealth, and when wealth is depleted, the people will be forced into labor.
When strength is exhausted and resources are depleted, the central plains will be empty; the costs to the people will see seven out of ten lost;
the costs to the state will see six out of ten lost in broken armies, exhausted horses, armor, arrows, crossbows, and shields.
Thus, wise generals must seek provisions from the enemy; one measure of enemy grain is worth twenty measures of ours.
Thus, killing the enemy is driven by anger;
taking advantage of the enemy is driven by profit.
In chariot warfare, if you capture more than ten chariots, reward those who gain them and change their banners;
mix the chariots and ride them, train the soldiers well, this is called defeating the enemy and becoming stronger.
Thus, victory in warfare is valued, not prolonged conflict.
Thus, those who understand warfare are the masters of the people's fate, the rulers of the nation's safety and danger.
Strategy and Attack#
Sun Tzu said:
In all military operations,
the preservation of the nation is paramount, the destruction of the enemy state is secondary;
the preservation of the army is paramount, the destruction of the enemy army is secondary;
the preservation of the entire battalion is paramount, the destruction of the battalion is secondary;
the preservation of the entire soldier is paramount, the destruction of the soldier is secondary;
the preservation of the entire squad is paramount, the destruction of the squad is secondary.
Thus, winning a hundred battles does not mean one is the best strategist;
to defeat the enemy without fighting is the best strategy.
Thus, the highest military strategy is to attack plans, the next is to attack alliances, the next is to attack armies, and the lowest is to attack cities.
The method of attacking cities is a last resort;
building siege engines and preparing tools takes three months;
after three months, the siege will be ready;
if the General cannot control his anger and rushes into it, killing one-third of the soldiers without capturing the city, this is a disaster of siege warfare.
Thus, a good military leader can defeat the enemy's army without fighting, capture the enemy's city without attacking, and destroy the enemy's state without prolonged conflict, always striving for preservation in the world;
thus, the military does not stagnate, and benefits can be preserved; this is the method of strategy and attack.
Thus, the method of warfare is to surround when ten, to attack when five, to divide when double, to engage when the enemy is capable, to retreat when weak, and to avoid when not favorable.
Thus, a small enemy can be strong, and a large enemy can be captured.
The General is the support of the state; if the support is strong, the state will be strong; if the support is weak, the state will be weak.
Thus, the three concerns of the ruler regarding the army are:
not knowing when the army cannot advance and ordering it to advance, not knowing when the army cannot retreat and ordering it to retreat, this is called mismanaging the army;
not knowing the affairs of the three armies while treating the three armies' policies the same will confuse the soldiers;
not knowing the authority of the three armies while treating the three armies' responsibilities the same will cause doubt among the soldiers.
When the three armies are confused and doubtful, the difficulties of the feudal lords will arise; this is called the chaos of the army leading to victory.
Thus, there are five ways to know victory:
knowing when one can fight and when one cannot fight leads to victory;
waiting for the unexpected leads to victory;
understanding the use of numbers leads to victory;
having the same desires from top to bottom leads to victory;
the General is capable while the ruler does not interfere leads to victory.
All five of these are the ways to victory.
Thus, it is said:
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles;
if you know yourself but not your enemy, for every victory gained, you will suffer a defeat;
if you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will be imperiled in every battle.
Form#
Sun Tzu said:
Those who were good at warfare in the past,
first made themselves invincible, and then waited for the enemy to become vulnerable;
invincibility lies within oneself, vulnerability lies with the enemy.
Thus, those who are good at warfare can make themselves invincible but cannot make the enemy invulnerable.
Thus, it is said: victory can be known, but cannot be forced.
Invincibility is defense; vulnerability is offense.
Defense is insufficient, offense is excessive.
Those who are good at defense hide beneath the earth, those who are good at offense move above the heavens, thus they can protect themselves and achieve complete victory.
Seeing victory is merely what everyone knows; it is not the best of the best;
winning a battle and being praised by the world is not the best of the best.
Thus, lifting a feather is not a sign of great strength, seeing the sun and moon is not a sign of great vision, hearing thunder is not a sign of great hearing.
Those who were called good at warfare in ancient times were those who could easily defeat the easily defeated;
thus, the victories of those who are good at warfare do not rely on wisdom or bravery, thus their victories are not erratic; when not erratic, their strategies must lead to victory, and they defeat those who have already lost.
Thus, those who are good at warfare stand in an invincible position while not losing sight of the enemy's defeat;
therefore, victorious armies win first and then seek battle, defeated armies seek battle first and then seek victory.
Those who are good at warfare cultivate the Way and preserve the Law, thus they can govern the strategies of victory and defeat.
The military strategy:
First is measurement, second is calculation, third is numbers, fourth is weight, fifth is victory;
the land gives rise to measurement, measurement gives rise to calculation, calculation gives rise to numbers, numbers give rise to weight, weight gives rise to victory.
The victorious army weighs its soldiers like measuring gold, while the defeated army weighs its soldiers like measuring grains.
The weight of victory is like pouring water into a deep ravine, this is form.
Power#
Sun Tzu said:
In managing the many as in managing the few, division is the principle;
in fighting the many as in fighting the few, form is the name;
the multitude of the three armies can be made to receive the enemy without defeat, the odd and even are the principles;
where the army strikes is like throwing a stone at an egg, the void and the solid are the principles.
In battle, one engages with the solid and wins with the odd.
Those who are good at using the odd are as endless as heaven and earth, as inexhaustible as rivers and seas.
Ending and beginning, day and night are the same;
death and rebirth, the four seasons are the same.
There are only five sounds, and the changes of the five sounds cannot be fully heard;
there are only five colors, and the changes of the five colors cannot be fully seen;
there are only five tastes, and the changes of the five tastes cannot be fully tasted;
the battle situation is only odd and solid, and the changes of the odd and solid cannot be fully explored.
The odd and solid give rise to each other, like an endless cycle, who can exhaust it!
The swift current of water can reach the point of sweeping away stones;
the swift bird can reach the point of breaking and folding.
Thus, those who are good at warfare have a dangerous power and a short rhythm; the power is like a crossbow, the rhythm is like a trigger.
Chaotic and tumultuous, fighting in confusion yet cannot be confused;
murky and indistinct, the form is round yet cannot be defeated.
Chaos arises from order, cowardice arises from bravery, weakness arises from strength.
Order and chaos are numbers;
bravery and cowardice are power;
strength and weakness are form.
Thus, those who are good at moving the enemy,
form them, and the enemy must follow;
offer them, and the enemy must take them.
Move them with benefits, wait for them with soldiers.
Those who are good at warfare seek power, not blame others, thus they can choose people and rely on power.
Those who rely on power, their soldiers are like turning wood and stone;
the nature of wood and stone is to be still when safe, to move when in danger, to stop when square, to move when round.
Void and Reality#
Sun Tzu said:
Those who occupy the battlefield first and wait for the enemy are at ease; those who arrive later and rush to battle are fatigued;
thus, those who are good at warfare lead others and do not let others lead them.
To make the enemy come to you is to benefit them;
to make the enemy unable to come to you is to harm them.
Thus, the enemy at ease can be fatigued, the full can be made hungry, the secure can be moved.
Go where they do not tread, and tread where they do not expect.
To march a thousand miles without fatigue,
is to march in a place where there are no people.
To attack and be sure to capture means to attack where they are not guarding;
to defend and be sure to hold means to defend where they are not attacking.
Those who are good at attacking do not let the enemy know where they are defending;
those who are good at defending do not let the enemy know where they are attacking.
Subtle, subtle, to the point of being formless;
mysterious, mysterious, to the point of being soundless;
thus they can be the master of the enemy's fate.
To advance and be unassailable means to charge into the void;
to retreat and be unpursuable means to be swift and unreachable.
Thus, if I desire battle, even if the enemy has high ramparts and deep moats, they must engage me;
if I do not desire battle, I draw the line and defend, and the enemy cannot engage me.
Thus, if I shape the enemy and I remain formless, then I am concentrated while the enemy is divided;
I am concentrated as one, the enemy is divided into ten, thus I can attack one while they attack ten, making me numerous and them few;
those who can strike the few with the many, then those I fight against are limited.
The place where I fight is unknown; if unknown, then the enemy's preparations are many;
if the preparations are many, then those I fight against are few.
Thus, those who prepare in front are few behind, those who prepare behind are few in front, those who prepare on the left are few on the right, those who prepare on the right are few on the left; those who are unprepared are not few.
The few are those who prepare against others;
the many are those who make others prepare against themselves.
Thus, knowing the day of battle and the place of battle allows for a meeting a thousand miles away;
not knowing the day of battle, not knowing the place of battle,
then the front cannot save the rear, the rear cannot save the front, the left cannot save the right, the right cannot save the left,
let alone those who are tens of miles away or those who are a few miles away?
From my perspective, even if the enemy's troops are many, what benefit is it to victory or defeat?
Thus it is said: victory can be achieved; even if the enemy is numerous, they can be made to not fight.
Thus, by strategizing, one can know the calculations of gains and losses, by acting, one can know the principles of movement and stillness, by shaping, one can know the places of life and death, by confronting, one can know the areas of surplus and insufficiency.
The ultimate form of military is to the point of being formless;
when formless, the deep gaps cannot be seen, and the wise cannot strategize.
Using form to deceive the many, the many cannot know;
everyone knows the form by which I win, but no one knows the form by which I control victory;
thus, their victories do not return, and they respond to form infinitely.
The military is like water; the form of water is to avoid the high and seek the low;
the form of the military is to avoid the solid and strike the void;
water flows according to the land, the military wins according to the enemy;
the military has no constant power, water has no constant form; those who can change according to the enemy and achieve victory are called divine.
Thus, the five elements have no constant victory, the four seasons have no constant position, the sun has its lengths and shortness, the moon has its deaths and births.
Military Competition#
Sun Tzu said:
In all military operations, the General receives orders from the ruler, gathers the army and assembles the troops;
to traverse difficult terrain and engage in military competition is the most challenging aspect of military operations.
The difficulty of military competition lies in taking a roundabout route as a direct one, and turning misfortunes into benefits.
Thus, take a roundabout path and entice with benefits, let the later arrivals depart, and the earlier arrivals arrive;
this is the knowledge of the roundabout and direct strategies.
Military competition is for benefits, military competition is for danger.
To mobilize the army for benefits is to not reach, to abandon the army for benefits is to lose supplies.
Thus, roll up your armor and rush, day and night do not stop, travel at double speed:
if you compete for benefits at a hundred miles, you will capture three generals, the strong go first, the fatigued go last, the method is to arrive in eleven;
if you compete for benefits at fifty miles, you will capture the top general, the method is to arrive in half;
if you compete for benefits at thirty miles, you will arrive two-thirds.
Thus, an army without supplies will perish, without food will perish, without provisions will perish.
Thus, those who do not know the strategies of the feudal lords cannot anticipate alliances;
those who do not know the shapes of mountains, forests, dangers, and marshes cannot march;
those who do not use local guides cannot gain the advantage of the land.
Thus, the military is established by deception, moves by benefits, and changes by division and harmony;
thus, its speed is like the wind, its slowness is like the forest, its invasion is like fire, its immobility is like a mountain, its difficulty to know is like shadows, its movement is like thunder;
plundering the countryside and dividing the benefits, suspending authority and moving;
those who first know the roundabout and direct strategies will win, this is the method of military competition.
The "Military Administration" says: "Words not heard from each other, hence the use of drums; sights not seen from each other, hence the use of banners."
Thus, night battles use drums, day battles use banners;
the drums and banners serve as the eyes and ears of one person;
when people are focused, the brave cannot advance alone, and the cowardly cannot retreat alone, this is the method of using the many.
The three armies can be deprived of morale, the General can be deprived of heart:
thus, morning morale is sharp, daytime morale is lazy, evening morale returns;
those who are good at warfare avoid their sharpness and strike their lazy returns, this is the management of morale.
Using order to wait for chaos, using stillness to wait for noise, this is the management of the heart.
Using proximity to wait for distance, using ease to wait for labor, using fullness to wait for hunger, this is the management of strength.
Do not invite the upright banners, do not attack the orderly formations, this is the management of change.
Thus, the method of warfare is:
do not face the high ridge, do not go against the hill,
do not follow the feigned retreat, do not attack the sharp soldiers,
do not feed the bait soldiers, do not hinder the returning troops,
do not leave gaps in the besieged army, do not press the desperate enemy,
this is the method of warfare.
Nine Changes#
Sun Tzu said:
In all military operations, the General receives orders from the ruler, gathers the army and assembles the troops;
in difficult terrain, there is no place to stay, in intersecting terrain, there is no place to remain, in blocked terrain, there is no place to linger, in besieged terrain, there is strategy, in desperate terrain, there is battle;
there are roads that should not be taken, armies that should not be attacked, cities that should not be besieged, lands that should not be contested, and commands that should not be received.
Thus, a General who understands the benefits of the nine changes knows how to use the military;
a General who does not understand the benefits of the nine changes, even if he knows the terrain, cannot gain the advantages of the land.
To manage troops without knowing the art of the nine changes, even if he knows the five benefits, cannot gain the use of people.
Thus, the wise man's considerations must be mixed with benefits and harms;
mixed with benefits but not trustworthy, mixed with harms but the troubles can be resolved.
Thus, to bend the feudal lords with harm, to employ the feudal lords with work, to approach the feudal lords with benefits.
Thus, the method of warfare is not to rely on their not coming, but to rely on what I have to wait for;
not to rely on their not attacking, but to rely on what I have that cannot be attacked.
Thus, the General has five dangers:
certain death can be killed;
certain survival can be captured;
anger and haste can be insulted;
integrity can be humiliated;
love for the people can be troublesome.
All five of these are the faults of the General, the disasters of the military.
The destruction of the army and the killing of the General must be observed through these five dangers.
Marching#
Sun Tzu said:
In positioning the army and confronting the enemy:
To cut off mountains and rely on valleys, to view the living from high places, to battle without ascending, this is the military of the mountains.
To cut off water must be from a distance; if the enemy comes from the water, do not meet them in the water, let them half cross and then strike, this is beneficial;
those who desire battle should not attach themselves to the water and meet the enemy;
view the living from high places, do not meet the flowing water, this is the military of the water.
To cut off marshes, one must urgently leave without lingering;
if the armies meet in the marshes, they must rely on water and grass while turning their backs to the trees, this is the military of the marshes.
Flat land is easy to position, but the right must be high, with death in front and life behind, this is the military of flat land.
All these four military advantages are why the Yellow Emperor defeated the Four Emperors.
In all armies, they prefer high places and dislike low places, value the sunny side and despise the shady side, nurture life and occupy the solid, an army without a hundred ailments is called certain victory.
In hilly areas, one must occupy the sunny side and have the right behind it.
This is the advantage of the military, the assistance of the land.
When it rains, the water flows in, those who wish to cross must wait until it settles.
In all terrains, there are steep ravines, heavenly wells, heavenly prisons, heavenly nets, heavenly traps, and heavenly gaps, one must urgently leave them and not approach.
If I keep my distance, the enemy will approach; if I welcome them, the enemy will turn their backs.
When marching, if there are dangers, swamps, reeds, mountains, forests, and thorns, one must carefully investigate them, as this is where ambushes may occur.
If the enemy is close and quiet, they rely on their danger;
if they are far and challenge, they want the people to advance;
where they dwell easily is advantageous;
if many trees move, they are coming;
if many grasses obstruct, they are suspicious;
if birds rise, they are ambushed;
if beasts are startled, they are ambushed;
if dust rises high and sharp, chariots are coming;
if low and wide, foot soldiers are coming;
if scattered and orderly, they are gathering firewood;
if few and coming and going, they are military camps.
If the words are humble and increase preparation, they advance;
if the words are strong and advance aggressively, they retreat;
if light chariots come out first and occupy the side, they are forming;
if they request peace without agreement, they are strategizing;
if they rush and set up their chariots, they are signaling;
if they advance and retreat halfway, they are luring.
If they lean on their staffs, they are hungry;
if they draw water and drink first, they are thirsty;
if they see benefits and do not advance, they are fatigued;
if birds gather, they are formless;
if they call at night, they are fearful;
if the army is disturbed, the General is not heavy;
if the banners move, they are in chaos;
if the officials are angry, they are weary;
if the horses are restless and the army has no hanging banners, they do not return to their quarters, they are desperate;
if they are whispering and speaking slowly with others, they have lost the crowd;
if rewards are frequent, they are in distress;
if punishments are frequent, they are in trouble;
if they are aggressive first and then fear their numbers, this is the utmost of incompetence;
if they come to apologize, they wish to rest;
if the soldiers are angry and meet each other, and do not unite for a long time, they must be carefully observed.
The military does not benefit from being numerous; it is only necessary to advance without weapons, sufficient to combine strength, assess the enemy, and capture people.
Only those who are untroubled and easy to defeat will surely be captured by others.
If soldiers have not yet attached themselves and are punished, they will not obey; if soldiers have attached themselves but punishment does not take effect, they cannot be used.
Thus, command them with culture, align them with military might, this is called certain capture.
Command those with good conduct to teach the people, then the people will obey;
command those without good conduct to teach the people, then the people will not obey.
Command those with good conduct, and they will align with the crowd.
Terrain#
Sun Tzu said:
Terrain has accessible, hanging, supporting, narrow, dangerous, and distant types.
I can go, and they can come, this is accessible;
the accessible terrain is to first occupy the high and sunny side, beneficial for supply routes, advantageous for battle.
I can go, but it is difficult to return, this is hanging;
the hanging terrain is when the enemy is unprepared, one can emerge and defeat them;
if the enemy is prepared, emerging and not winning makes it difficult to return, it is not advantageous.
I emerge and it is not advantageous, they emerge and it is not advantageous, this is supporting;
the supporting terrain is when the enemy is beneficial to me, but I cannot emerge;
lead them away, let the enemy half emerge and then strike, this is beneficial.
The narrow terrain is when I first occupy it, I must fill it to wait for the enemy;
if the enemy occupies it first, fill it and do not follow, do not fill and follow.
The dangerous terrain is when I first occupy it, I must occupy the high and sunny side to wait for the enemy;
if the enemy occupies it first, lead them away, do not follow.
The distant terrain is when the forces are equal, it is difficult to challenge, battle is not advantageous.
All six of these are the principles of the land;
the General must not neglect them.
Thus, the military has fleeing, rushing, trapping, collapsing, chaos, and retreating.
All six of these are not disasters from heaven, but faults of the General.
When the forces are equal, to strike one and hit ten is called fleeing;
when the soldiers are strong and the officials are weak, it is called rushing;
when the officials are strong and the soldiers are weak, it is called trapping;
when the high officials are angry and do not obey, encountering the enemy and fighting themselves, the General does not know their capabilities, this is called collapsing;
when the General is weak and not strict, the teachings are unclear, the officials and soldiers are inconsistent, the formations are chaotic, this is called chaos;
when the General cannot assess the enemy, using few to engage many, using weak to strike strong, the military has no chosen edge, this is called retreating.
All six of these are the paths to defeat;
the General must not neglect them.
Thus, terrain is the assistance of the military.
Assessing the enemy and achieving victory, calculating dangers and difficulties, near and far, are the ways of the upper General.
Knowing this and engaging in battle will surely lead to victory; not knowing this and engaging in battle will surely lead to defeat.
Thus, the path of battle must lead to victory; if the ruler says no battle, there must be a battle;
the path of battle does not lead to victory; if the ruler says there must be a battle, there can be no battle.
Thus, advance without seeking fame, retreat without avoiding blame, only the people are the protection, and benefits align with the ruler, this is the treasure of the nation.
View the soldiers as infants, thus they can be led into deep streams;
view the soldiers as beloved children, thus they can be led to death together.
If one is thick but cannot command, loves but cannot order, is chaotic but cannot govern, it is like a spoiled child, and cannot be used.
To know my soldiers can strike, but not knowing the enemy cannot be struck, is half of victory;
to know the enemy can be struck, but not knowing my soldiers cannot be struck, is half of victory;
to know the enemy can be struck, to know my soldiers can be struck, but not knowing the terrain cannot be fought, is half of victory.
Thus, those who understand warfare move without confusion, act without exhaustion.
Thus it is said:
Know the enemy and know yourself, and victory will not be imperiled;
know the heavens and know the earth, and victory will not be exhausted.
Nine Terrains#
Sun Tzu said:
In warfare,
there are scattered terrain, light terrain, contested terrain,
intersecting terrain, thoroughfare terrain, heavy terrain,
blocked terrain, besieged terrain, and desperate terrain.
Feudal lords fighting for their own land is called scattered terrain;
entering another's land but not deeply is called light terrain;
if I gain, both gain is called contested terrain;
if I can go and they can come is called intersecting terrain;
the land of the feudal lords has three categories, the first to arrive gains the multitude of the world is called thoroughfare terrain;
entering another's land deeply, with many cities behind is called heavy terrain;
traveling through mountains, forests, dangers, and marshes, all difficult paths are called blocked terrain;
where the entry is narrow, where the return is roundabout, where the few can strike my many is called besieged terrain;
if swift battle leads to survival, and slow battle leads to death, this is called desperate terrain.
Thus,
in scattered terrain, there is no battle; in light terrain, there is no stopping; in contested terrain, there is no attack,
in intersecting terrain, there is no severing, in thoroughfare terrain, there is mutual intersection, in heavy terrain, there is plunder,
in blocked terrain, there is movement, in besieged terrain, there is strategy, in desperate terrain, there is battle.
The so-called ancient masters of warfare,
can make the enemy unable to connect front and back, the many and few do not rely on each other, the rich and poor do not assist each other, the high and low do not unite, the soldiers separate and do not gather, the military combines but does not align;
they move according to benefits, and stop when not aligned with benefits.
Dare I ask: "If the enemy is numerous and well-organized, how should I wait for them?"
It is said: "First seize what they love, then they will listen."
The essence of military matters is speed, taking advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness, attacking where they are not vigilant.
In all matters of being a guest,
to go deep is to specialize, the host cannot prevail;
plundering in abundant fields, the three armies are well-fed;
carefully nurture and do not exhaust, combine energy and strength, strategize for the unpredictable;
throw them without a destination, even in death do not retreat, in death, how can one not exert all effort!
When soldiers are deeply trapped, they are not afraid, when there is nowhere to go, they are firm;
to go deep is to be constrained, if unavoidable, they must fight.
Thus, their soldiers are not trained but are vigilant, they do not seek but gain, they do not agree but are close, they do not command but are trusted, they banish omens and dispel doubts, until death there is nowhere to go.
My soldiers have no surplus wealth, not because of bad goods; they have no surplus life, not because of bad longevity.
On the day of mobilization, the soldiers sit with tears staining their collars, those who lie down weep with tears crossing their cheeks.
Throwing them without a destination is the courage of the brave.
Thus, those who are good at warfare are like the snake of Mount Chang.
Strike its head and the tail arrives, strike its tail and the head arrives, strike the middle and both head and tail arrive.
Dare I ask: "Can the military be used like the snake?" It is said: "Yes."
When the Wu people and the Yue people are at odds, when they are in the same boat and encounter wind, their mutual rescue is like the left and right hands.
Thus,
a square horse buried in wheels is not enough to rely on;
the courage of the many is like one, this is the way of governance;
both hardness and softness are obtained, this is the principle of the land.
Thus, those who are good at warfare can work together as if they are one person, when it is unavoidable.
The matters of the General:
be still to be mysterious, be correct to govern;
able to deceive the ears and eyes of the soldiers, making them unaware;
make their tasks easy, change their strategies, making people unrecognizable;
change their dwellings, take roundabout paths, making people not think.
Lead them with a promise, like climbing high and removing the ladder;
lead them deeply into the land of the feudal lords, and release their mechanisms, burn boats and break cauldrons, like driving a flock of sheep, driving them away, driving them back, no one knows where they go.
Gather the multitude of the three armies, throw them into danger, this is called the matters of the General.
The changes of the nine terrains, the benefits of bending and stretching, the principles of human feelings, must not be neglected.
In all matters of being a guest, deep means specialization, shallow means scattering.
Leaving the country and crossing the border to lead troops is called blocked terrain;
the thoroughfare is called thoroughfare terrain;
entering deeply is called heavy terrain;
entering shallowly is called light terrain;
turning one's back firmly against the front is called besieged terrain;
turning one's back firmly against the enemy is called desperate terrain;
having nowhere to go is called exhausted terrain.
Thus,
in scattered terrain, I will unify my will;
in light terrain, I will make them belong;
in contested terrain, I will drive them from behind;
in intersecting terrain, I will guard them carefully;
in thoroughfare terrain, I will solidify my connections;
in heavy terrain, I will continue to feed them;
in blocked terrain, I will advance my path;
in besieged terrain, I will block their gaps;
in desperate terrain, I will show them that there is no way to live.
Thus, the essence of the military is to besiege and defend, if unavoidable, to fight, if excessive, to follow.
Thus,
those who do not know the strategies of the feudal lords cannot anticipate alliances;
those who do not know the shapes of mountains, forests, dangers, and marshes cannot march;
those who do not use local guides cannot gain the advantage of the land.
Those who do not know the five or four do not know one, are not the soldiers of kings and hegemons.
The soldiers of kings and hegemons, when attacking large nations, their multitude cannot gather;
when imposing on the enemy, their alliances cannot unite.
Thus, not engaging in the alliances of the world, not nurturing the powers of the world, trusting in one's own interests, imposing on the enemy, thus their cities can be captured, their nations can be destroyed.
Imposing rewards without law, suspending orders without governance,
offending the multitude of the three armies, as if offending one person;
offending them with matters, do not inform with words;
offending them with benefits, do not inform with harms;
throw them into a place of death and then survive, trap them in a place of death and then live.
Thus, the multitude trapped in harm can then achieve victory or defeat.
Thus, in matters of warfare, it is about following the intentions of the enemy, aligning with the enemy's direction, killing the General a thousand miles away, this is called the skill that accomplishes matters.
Thus,
on the day of the political rise, the gates are opened and the tokens are broken, do not allow their messengers to pass;
be severe in the corridors and temples, to punish their matters.
When the enemy opens and closes, one must urgently enter;
first take what they love, and subtly promise them;
trample the ink and follow the enemy, to decide the matters of battle.
Thus,
begin like a virgin, when the enemy opens the gates; later like a fleeing rabbit, the enemy cannot refuse.