Junzheng — the struggle to get there first軍爭篇

受君命也。遵廟勝之算，恭行天罰。

This is taking the ruler's orders. He follows the winning plan reckoned in the ancestral temple, and carries out Heaven's punishment with due care.

受君命，伐叛逆。

He takes the ruler's orders and strikes the one who has rebelled.

聚國人，結行伍，選部曲，起營爲軍陳。

He gathers the men of the country, forms them into ranks, picks out the subunits, and raises the camp to make the army's formation.

聚國之衆，合以爲軍。

He gathers the multitude of the country and joins them to make an army.

大國三軍，總三萬七千五百人；若悉舉其賦，則總七萬五千人。此所謂「合軍聚衆」。

The three armies (三軍) of a great state come to thirty-seven thousand five hundred men in all. If every soldier its levies can raise is called up, the total is seventy-five thousand. This is what is meant by "gathering the army and mustering the men."

合國人以爲軍，聚兵衆以爲陳。

He joins the men of the country to make an army, and gathers the host of soldiers to form the ranks.

軍門爲和門，左右門爲旗門，以車爲營曰轅門，以人爲營曰人門，兩軍相對爲交和。

The army's gate is called the harmony gate (和門), and the gates to left and right are called the banner gates (旗門). When the camp is ringed with carts it is called the shaft gate (轅門), and when it is ringed with men it is called the man gate (人門). When two armies stand facing each other it is called crossed harmony (交和).

交間和雜也。合軍之後，彊弱、勇怯、長短、向背，間雜而仵之；力相兼，後合諸營壘，與敵爭之。

Jiao (交) is being mixed together, and he (和) is being intermingled. After the army is gathered, the strong and the weak, the bold and the timid, the tall and the short, those who face forward and those who turn their backs are mixed together and set against one another. When their strength is matched, the several camps and ramparts are then joined, and he contends with the enemy.

《周禮》「以旌爲左右和門」。鄭司農曰︰「軍門曰和，今謂之壘門，立兩旌旗表之，以敘和出入，明次第也。」交者，言與敵人對壘而舍，和門相交對也。

The *Rites of Zhou* (周禮) says, "Banners are set up as the harmony gates to left and right." Zheng Sinong (鄭司農) said, "The army's gate is called harmony; today it is called the rampart gate (壘門). Two banners are set up to mark it, so that the order of going in and coming out is fixed and the sequence made plain." Crossed means that one camps with his ramparts facing the enemy, so that the harmony gates look across at each other.

舍，止也。士衆交雜和合，而止於軍中，趨利而動。

She (舍) is to halt. The host of soldiers, mixed together and joined, halts within the camp, and moves when it sees profit.

軍門爲和門，兩軍交對而舍也。

The army's gate is called the harmony gate: the two armies face each other and make camp.

和門相望，將合戰爭利，兵家難事也。

The harmony gates look across at each other, and he is about to join battle and contend for profit. This is a hard thing for one who uses troops.

軍門爲和門，言與敵對壘而舍，其門相交對也。或曰︰與上下交相和睦，然後可以出兵爲營舍。故《吳子》曰︰「不和於國，不可以出軍；不和於軍，不可以出陳。」

The army's gate is called the harmony gate. It means that one camps with his ramparts facing the enemy, so that the gates look across at each other. Some say that only when high and low are in harmony with one another can troops be sent out and a camp be made. So the *Wuzi* (吳子) says, "If the state is not in harmony, you cannot send out an army; if the army is not in harmony, you cannot draw up the ranks."

從始受命，至於交和，軍爭難也。

From first taking the orders to standing with the gates facing each other, the struggle for position is hard.

於爭利害難也。

It means that contending over profit and harm is hard.

自受命至此，爲最難。

From the taking of the orders down to this point, this is the hardest.

與人相對而爭利，天下之至難也。

To stand facing another and contend for profit is the hardest thing under Heaven.

示以遠，邇其道里，先敵至也。

He appears to go the long way round while making his road the short one, and so he arrives before the enemy.

言欲爭奪，先以迂遠爲近，以患爲利，誑紿敵人，使其慢易，然後急趨也。

It means that one who would contend and seize first makes the far, roundabout road the near one and makes trouble into profit, deceiving the enemy so that he grows careless, and only then hurries forward.

言合軍聚衆，交和而舍，皆有舊制，惟軍爭最難也。苟不知以迂爲直，以患爲利者，卽不能與敵爭也。

It means that gathering the army and mustering the men, and camping with the two gates facing each other, all have old rules, and that only the struggle for position is hardest. If one does not know how to make the crooked road the straight one and trouble into profit, he cannot contend with the enemy.

全軍而行，爭於便利之地，而先據之；若不得其地，則輸敵之勝，最其難也。

He goes forward with the army whole, contends for the ground that is easy and useful, and takes it first. If he does not get that ground, he hands victory over to the enemy, and this is the hardest thing.

敵途本迂，患在道遠，則先處形勢之地。故曰「以患爲利」。

When the road to the enemy is crooked from the start and there is the trouble that the way is long, one takes first the ground that is well placed. Hence it says, "make trouble into profit."

能變迂爲近，轉患爲利，難也。

To be able to turn the crooked road into a near one and turn trouble into profit: this is what is hard.

曹公曰︰「示以遠，邇其道里，先敵至。」晳謂示以遠者，使其不虞而行，或奇兵從間道出也。

Lord Cao (曹公) said, "Show him the far road, then make your own way near, and arrive before the enemy." I hold that showing him the far road means going forward while the enemy does not reckon on it, or at times sending a surprise force (奇兵) out by a side road.

謂所征之國，路由山險，迂曲而遠，將欲爭利，則當分兵出奇，隨逐鄉導，由直路乘其不備，急擊之，雖有陷險之患，得利亦速也。如鍾會伐蜀，而鄧艾出奇，先至蜀，蜀無備而降。故下云「不得鄉導，不能得地利」是也。

It means that when the road to the state one is attacking runs through steep mountains and is crooked and long, and one would contend for profit, he should divide his troops and send out a surprise force, follow local guides, take the straight road, and strike quickly while the enemy is unprepared. Though there is the trouble of falling into steep places, the profit too is quickly got. It is like Zhong Hui (鍾會) attacking Shu (蜀), when Deng Ai (鄧艾) sent out a surprise force and reached Shu first, and Shu, being unprepared, surrendered. This is why it says below, "One who does not use local guides cannot gain the advantage of the ground."

變迂曲爲近直，轉患害爲便利，此軍爭之難也。

To turn the crooked and winding into the near and straight, and to turn trouble and harm into ease and profit: this is the hardness of the struggle for position.

迂其途者，示之遠也。後人發、先人至者，明於度數，先知遠近之計也。

To go round by the crooked road is to appear to go the long way. To set out later than others and arrive first is to be clear in measuring and counting, so as to know beforehand the reckoning of far and near.

故迂其途，示不速進，後人發，先人至也。用兵若此，以患爲利者。

So he goes round by his road and shows that he is not advancing quickly, and then sets out later than the other man and arrives before him. To use troops in this way is to make trouble into profit.

上解曰以迂爲直，是示敵人以迂遠；敵意已怠，復誘敵以利，使敵心不專；然後倍道兼行，出其不意，故能後發先至，而得所爭之要害也。秦伐韓，軍於閼與，趙王令趙奢往救之。去邯鄲三十里，而令軍中曰︰「有以軍事諫者死。」秦軍武安西，秦軍鼓譟勒兵，武安屋瓦皆震。軍中候有一人言急救武安，奢立斬之。堅壁留二十八日不行，復益增壘。秦間來，奢善食而遣之。間以報秦，秦將大喜，曰︰「夫去國三十里而軍不行，乃增壘，閼與非趙地也。」奢旣遣秦間，乃卷甲而趨，二日一夜至，令善射者去閼與五十里而軍。秦人聞之，悉甲而至。有一卒曰︰「先據北山者勝。」奢使萬人據之，秦人來爭不得。奢因縱擊，大破之，閼與遂得解。

What was explained above, making the crooked road the straight one, is to show the enemy that one is going far round. When the enemy's mind has already slackened, he is lured again with profit so that his mind is not fixed on one thing. Only then does one double the march and press on day and night, setting out at a time the enemy has not reckoned on. So he sets out later and yet arrives first, and gains the vital ground that was contended for. Qin (秦) attacked Han (韓) and camped at Yanyu (閼與), and the king of Zhao (趙) ordered Zhao She (趙奢) to go and relieve it. Zhao She went thirty li out from Handan (邯鄲) and gave the order in camp, "Whoever speaks about military affairs dies." The troops of Qin beat their drums and raised a clamor west of Wu'an (武安) and put their men through their drill, until the roof tiles of Wu'an all shook. One of the scouts in camp said that Wu'an should be relieved at once, and Zhao She beheaded him on the spot. He held his ramparts fast and stayed twenty-eight days without advancing, and built his ramparts higher still. When a spy of Qin came, Zhao She fed him well and sent him off. The spy reported to Qin, and the general of Qin was greatly pleased and said, "He has come thirty li from his own country and his army does not advance; he only builds his ramparts higher. Yanyu is not the ground of Zhao." Having sent the spy of Qin away, Zhao She rolled up his armor and ran, arriving in two days and one night, and set his good archers in camp fifty li from Yanyu. The men of Qin heard of it and came with all their armor on. One soldier said, "Whoever takes the North Hill (北山) first will win." Zhao She sent ten thousand men to take it. The men of Qin came and contended for it but could not get it. Zhao She then struck out at will and broke them utterly, and the ring about Yanyu was at last loosed.

敵途本近，我能迂之者，或以羸兵，或以小利，於他道誘之，使不得以軍爭赴也。

That the enemy's road is near from the start and yet I can make it crooked means that, whether with weak troops or with a small profit, I lure him onto another road so that he cannot drive his army there to contend with me.

遠其途，誘以利，款之也；後其發，先其至，爭之也。能知此者，變迂轉害之謀也。

To make his road long and lure him with profit is to slacken him. To set out later and arrive first is to contend. One who can know this holds the plan for turning the crooked and turning harm aside.

迂途者，當行之途也。以分兵出奇，則當行之途，示以迂險，設勢以誘敵，令得小利縻之，則出奇之兵，雖後發亦先至也。言爭利，須料迂直之勢出奇，故下云「分合爲變」、「其疾如風」是也。

The crooked road is the road one ought to take. When dividing the troops to send out a surprise force, one shows the road he ought to take as crooked and steep, arranges the look of things to lure the enemy, and lets him gain a small profit to hold him there. Then the troops sent out as a surprise force, though they set out later, also arrive first. It means that in contending for profit one must weigh the shape of the crooked and the straight and send out a surprise force. So it says below, "it makes its changes by dividing and joining," and "its swiftness is like the wind."

形勢之地，爭得則勝。凡欲近爭便地，先引兵遠去，復以小利啗敵，使彼不意我進，又貪我利，故我得以後發而先至，此所謂「以迂爲直，以患爲利」也。趙奢據北山而敗秦軍，郭淮屯北原而走諸葛是也。能後發先至者，明於度數，知以迂爲直之謀者也。

Ground that is well placed brings victory to whoever contends for it and gains it. Whenever one would contend for easy ground close by, he first leads his troops far off, and then baits the enemy with a small profit, so that the enemy does not reckon on my advance and also covets the profit I offer. So I can set out later and yet arrive first, and this is what is meant by "making the crooked road the straight one and trouble into profit." Zhao She taking the North Hill and breaking the army of Qin, and Guo Huai (郭淮) camping at Beiyuan (北原) and making Zhuge Liang (諸葛亮) withdraw, are instances of this. One who can set out later and arrive first is clear about measures and numbers, and knows the plan of making the crooked road the straight one.

善者則以利，不善者則以危。

For one who does it well it is profit; for one who does it badly it is danger.

夫軍者，將善則利，不善則危。

As for an army, if the general is good at it there is profit; if he is not good at it there is danger.

善者，計度審也。

To be good at it is to reckon and weigh with care.

我軍先至，得其便利之地，則爲利；彼敵先據其地，我三軍之衆馳往爭之，則敵佚我勞，危之道也。

If my army arrives first and gains the ground that is easy and useful, there is profit. If the enemy takes that ground first and I send the host of the three armies racing there to contend for it, the enemy is at ease and I am worn out: this is the road to danger.

軍爭之事，有利也，有危也。又一本作「軍爭爲利，衆爭爲危」。

In the business of the struggle for position there is profit and there is danger. One text also has, "The army's struggle brings profit; the host's struggle brings danger."

此又言出軍行師，驅三軍之衆，與敵人相角逐，以爭一日之勝，得之則爲利，失之則爲危，不可輕舉。

This again speaks of sending out the army and marching the host, driving the men of the three armies to grapple with the enemy and contend for a single day's victory. Gain it and there is profit; lose it and there is danger. One cannot move lightly.

智者爭之則爲利，庸人爭之則爲危。明者知迂直，愚者昧之故也。

When a wise man contends there is profit; when a common man contends there is danger. For the clear-sighted know the crooked and the straight, and the dull are in the dark about them.

遲不及也。

Being slow, he does not get there.

輜重行遲。

The baggage train moves slowly.

行軍用師，必趨其利，遠近之勢，直以舉軍往爭其利，難以速至；可以潛設奇計，迂敵途程，敵不識我謀，則我先而敵後也。

In moving an army and using troops one must go after profit. Given the shape of what is far and what is near, to raise the whole army and go straight there to contend for that profit makes it hard to arrive quickly. But if one secretly lays an unlooked-for plan, makes the enemy's road crooked, and keeps him from knowing my design, then I am ahead and the enemy behind.

遲不及也。舉軍悉行，爭赴其利，則道路悉不相逮。

It is being slow and not getting there. If the whole army moves and all go to contend for that profit, then on the road the front and the rear do not keep up with one another.

舉軍中所有而行，則遲緩。

If one takes along everything there is in camp, he becomes slow.

以輜重故。

It is because of the baggage train.

竭軍而前，則行緩而不能及利。

If one brings the whole army forward, his pace is slow and he cannot reach the profit.

置輜重，則恐捐棄也。

If he leaves the baggage train behind, the fear is that it will be thrown away.

委棄輜重，則軍資闕也。

If the baggage train is thrown away, the army's supplies run short.

舉一軍之物行，則重滯遲緩，不及於利；委棄輜重，輕兵前追，則恐輜重因此棄捐也。

If one takes along all the goods of an army, it is heavy and dragging and slow and does not reach the profit. If he throws away the baggage train and presses ahead in pursuit with light troops, then it is to be feared that the baggage train will be lost by this.

恐敵知而絶我後糧也。

It is to be feared that the enemy will learn of it and cut off the grain behind me.

委置庫藏，輕師而行，若敵乘虛而來，抄絶其後，則己輜重皆悉棄捐。

He leaves his stores behind and marches with the army made light; if the enemy comes at the empty place, plunders and cuts off his rear, then all his baggage train is lost.

委軍中所有而行，則輜重棄。

If one leaves behind everything there is in camp and marches, he loses the baggage train.

王晳同曹操《註》。

Wang Xi's (王晳) note is the same as Cao Cao's (曹操).

何氏同杜佑《註》。

Mr. He's (何氏) note is the same as Du You's (杜佑).

委置重滯，輕兵獨進，則恐輜重爲敵所掠，故棄捐也。

He leaves behind what is heavy and dragging and advances alone with light troops; then it is to be feared that the baggage train will be plundered by the enemy, and so it says that it is thrown away.

不得休息，罷也。

They get no rest, and so they are worn out.

若不慮上二事，欲從速疾，卷甲束仗，潛軍夜行；若敵知其情，邀而擊之，則三軍之將爲敵所擒也。若秦伯襲鄭，三帥皆獲是也。

If one does not weigh the two matters above but goes after speed alone, rolling up his armor and binding up his weapons, hiding his troops and marching by night, then should the enemy learn how things stand and meet and strike him, the generals of the three armies are taken by the enemy. It is like the Earl of Qin (秦伯) raiding Zheng (鄭), when all three commanders were captured.

百里而爭利，非也，三將軍皆以爲擒。

To struggle for a prize a hundred li away is wrong, and so all three generals are taken.

一日行一百二十里，則爲倍道兼行；行若如此，則勁健者先到，疲者後至。軍健者少，疲者多，且十人可一人先到，餘悉在後，以此遇敵，何三將軍不擒哉？魏武逐劉備，一日一夜行三百里，諸葛亮以爲彊弩之末不能穿魯縞，言無力也。是以有赤壁之敗。龐涓追孫臏，死於馬陵，亦其義也。

To go a hundred and twenty li in a day is to cover double marches one after another. March like this and the strong and hardy arrive first, the weary arrive later. In camp the hardy are few and the weary many; so one man in ten may arrive first and all the rest are behind. To meet the enemy in this state: how should the three generals not be taken? When Wu of Wei (魏武) pursued Liu Bei (劉備) and went three hundred li in a day and a night, Zhuge Liang said that the last of a strong crossbow's flight cannot pierce the thin silk of Lu (魯), meaning that it has no force left. Hence the defeat at Red Cliff (赤壁). Pang Juan (龐涓) pursuing Sun Bin (孫臏) and dying at Maling (馬陵) is of the same meaning.

此說未盡也。凡軍一日行三十里爲一舍，倍道兼行者，再舍，晝夜不息，乃得百里。若如此爭利，衆疲倦，則三將軍皆須爲敵所擒。其法什一而至者，不得已必須爭利，凡十人中擇一人最勁者先往，其餘者則令繼後而往。萬人中先擇千人，平旦先至，其餘繼至，有巳午時至者，有申未時至者，各得不竭其力，相續而至，與先往者足得聲響相接。凡爭利，必是爭奪要害，雖千人守之，亦足以拒抗敵人，以待繼至者。太宗以三千五百騎先據武牢，竇建德十八萬衆而不能前，此可知也。

This explanation is not yet complete. An army going thirty li in a day makes one stage, and covering double marches one after another means two stages, going day and night without rest, which gives a hundred li. If one contends for profit in this way, the host is worn out and all three generals must be taken by the enemy. As for the rule that one man in ten arrives: when one must contend for profit and has no choice, he picks from every ten men the one who is strongest and sends him ahead, and orders the rest to follow after. Out of ten thousand men he first picks a thousand to arrive at daybreak, and the rest arrive after, some at the hours of si (巳) and wu (午), some at shen (申) and wei (未); each is thus able not to spend all his strength, and they arrive one after another, close enough to those who went first that their calls can reach each other. Contending for profit is always contending to seize vital ground, and though only a thousand men hold it, that is enough to withstand the enemy while waiting for those who come after. Taizong (太宗) took Wulao (武牢) first with three thousand five hundred horse, and the host of a hundred and eighty thousand under Dou Jiande (竇建德) could not come forward: by this it may be known.

杜說別是用兵一途，非「什一而至」之義也。蓋言百里爭利，勁者先，疲者後，十中得一而至，九皆疲困，一則勁者也。

The words of Du Mu (杜牧) are only another way of using troops, and not the meaning of "one man in ten arrives." It means that when one contends for profit over a hundred li, the strong go ahead and the weary fall behind, and only one in ten arrives: nine are all worn out and one is the strong man.

路遠人疲，奔馳力盡，如此則我勞敵佚，被擊何疑？百里爭利，慎勿爲也。

When the road is long the men grow weary and their strength is spent with running. Then I am worn out and the enemy at ease; what doubt is there that I shall be struck? Take care never to contend for profit over a hundred li.

百里爭利，非也，三將軍皆爲擒也。彊弱不復相待，率十有一人至軍也。罷音疲。

To contend for profit over a hundred li is wrong: all three generals are taken. The strong and the weak can no longer wait for one another, and as a rule only one man in ten reaches the camp. Ba (罷) is pronounced pi (疲).

軍日行三十里而舍，今乃晝夜不休，行百里，故三將軍爲其擒也。何則？涉途旣遠，勁者少，罷者多，十中得一至耳。三將軍者，三軍之師也。

An army goes thirty li in a day and halts. Now it goes a hundred li without rest day or night, and so the three generals are taken. Why? When the road travelled is long, the strong are few and the weary many, and only one in ten arrives. The three generals are the commanders of the three armies.

罷，羸也。此言爭利之道，宜近不宜遠耳。夫衝風之衰，不能起毛羽；彊弩之末，不能穿魯縞。苟日夜兼行，百里趨利，縱使一分勁者能至，固已困乏矣。卽敵人以佚擊我之勞，自當不戰而敗。故司馬宣王曰︰「吾倍道兼行，此曉兵者之所忌也。」或曰︰趙奢亦卷甲而趨，二日一夜卒勝秦者何也？曰︰奢久并氣積力，增壘遣間，示怯以驕之，使秦不意其至，兵又堅，奢又去閼與五十里而軍，比秦聞之，及發兵至，非二三日不能也。能來，是彼有五十里趨敵之勞，而我固已二三日休息，士卒不勝其佚；且又投之險難，先據高陽，奇正相因，曷爲不勝哉？

Ba is being gaunt. This says that the way of contending for profit should be over a near distance and not a far one. A wind that has blown itself out cannot lift a hair or a feather; the last of a strong crossbow's flight cannot pierce the thin silk of Lu. If one marches on day and night and goes after profit over a hundred li, then even if about a tenth of them, the strong, arrive, they are already worn out and spent. If the enemy strikes my worn-out men with men at ease, I must be beaten without a battle. So Sima Xuanwang (司馬宣王) said, "For me to cover double marches one after another is what one who knows troops holds in dread." Someone asks: Zhao She too rolled up his armor and ran, and arrived in two days and one night, and yet in the end beat Qin. Why? The answer: Zhao She had long gathered his spirit and stored up strength, building his ramparts higher and sending the spy off, showing himself timid to make the enemy proud, so that Qin did not reckon on his coming. His troops too were hardy, and he camped fifty li from Yanyu; by the time Qin heard of it and sent out troops and arrived, two or three days were needed. When they could come, the other side had the weariness of fifty li run toward the enemy, while I had already rested two or three days, and the soldiers were as fresh as could be. Besides, he drove the enemy into steep and hard ground and took the high ground first, so that the unorthodox (奇) and the orthodox (正) followed one upon another. How should he not win?

言三將出奇求利，委軍衆輜重，卷甲務速；若晝夜百里不息，則勁者能十至其一。我勞敵佚，敵衆我寡，擊之未必勝也，敗則三將俱擒。以此見武之深戒也。

It speaks of three generals sending out a surprise force to seek profit, leaving behind the host and the baggage train, rolling up their armor and striving for speed. If they go a hundred li without rest day and night, then even of the strong only one in ten arrives. I am worn out and the enemy at ease, the enemy many and I few; to strike him is not sure to win, and if I am beaten all three generals are taken together. By this one may see how deeply Sun Wu (孫武) warned against it.

卷甲，猶悉甲也。悉甲而進，謂輕重俱行也。凡軍日行三十里則止，過六十里已上，爲倍道，晝夜不息爲兼行。言百里之遠，與人爭利，輕兵在前，輜重在後，人罷馬倦，渴者不得飲，飢者不得食，忽遇敵，則以勞對佚，以飢敵飽，又復首尾不相及，故三軍之帥必皆爲敵所擒。若晉人獲秦三帥是也。輕兵之中，十人得一人勁捷者先至，下九人悉疲困而在後，況重兵乎？何以知輕重俱行？下文云「五十里而爭利，則半至」，若止是輕兵，則一日行五十里不爲遠也，焉有半至之理？是必重兵偕行也。

Rolling up the armor is much the same as having all the armor on. To advance with all the armor on means that the light and the heavy go together. An army goes thirty li in a day and then stops; past sixty li is a double march, and going day and night without rest is covering them one after another. It means that when one contends for profit with another over so far a distance as a hundred li, the light troops are in front and the baggage train behind, the men weary and the horses spent, the thirsty unable to drink and the hungry unable to eat. Should he suddenly meet the enemy, he faces men at ease while worn out and men well fed while hungry, and his van and rear do not reach one another; so the commanders of the three armies must all be taken by the enemy. It is like the men of Jin (晉) capturing the three commanders of Qin. Even among the light troops, one man in ten who is strong and nimble arrives first and the nine below him are all worn out and behind; how much more the troops under heavy loads? How do we know that the light and the heavy went together? The text below says, "If you struggle for a prize fifty li away, half arrive." If it were light troops only, going fifty li in a day would not be far, and what reason would there be for half to arrive? This must be troops under heavy loads going along with them.

蹷，猶挫也。

Brought down (蹷) is the same as to be broken.

百里則十人一人至，五十里十人五人至，挫軍之威，不至擒也。言道近不至疲。

At a hundred li one man in ten arrives; at fifty li five in ten arrive. The army's weight is blunted, but it does not come to being taken. It means that the road is near and it does not come to weariness.

半至者，凡十人中擇五人勁者先往也。

Half arrive means that out of every ten men one picks the five who are strong and sends them ahead.

上，猶先也。

Shang (上) is much like going ahead.

蹷，猶挫也。前軍之將，已爲敵所蹷敗。

Jue is much the same as to be broken. The general of the van has already been broken and beaten by the enemy.

十中得五，猶遠不能勝。

Even if five in ten are got, the road is far and he cannot win.

罷勞之患，減於太半，止挫敗而已。

The trouble of weariness is cut by more than half, and it stops at being broken and beaten.

路不甚遠，十中五至，猶挫軍威，況百里乎？蹷上將，謂前軍先行也。或問曰︰唐太宗征宋金剛，一日一夜行二百餘里，亦能克勝者何也？答曰︰此形同而勢異也。且金剛旣敗，衆心已沮，迫而滅之，則河東立平。若其緩之，賊必生計。此太宗所以不計疲頓而力逐也。孫子所陳爭利之法，蓋與此異矣。

The road is not very far and five in ten arrive, and still the army's weight is blunted; how much more at a hundred li? To bring down the senior general means that the van marches ahead. Someone asked: when Taizong of Tang attacked Song Jingang (宋金剛) he went more than two hundred li in a day and a night and yet was able to win. Why? The answer: here the shape is the same but the force of things different. Jingang had already been beaten and the heart of his host was broken; press him and destroy him, and Hedong (河東) is pacified at once. Slacken, and the enemy will surely find a plan. This is why Taizong did not reckon his men's weariness and pursued with all his strength. The way of contending for profit that Sunzi (孫子) sets out is a different matter from this.

道近，至者多，故無死敗也。

The road being near, many arrive, and so there is no dying and no defeat.

近不疲也，故無死亡。

It is near and they are not worn out, and so none are lost.

三十里內，凡十人中可以六七人先往也。不言「其法」者，舉上文可知也。

Within thirty li, six or seven men out of every ten can be sent ahead. That it does not say "by this rule" is because it can be known from the text above.

道近，則至者多，故無死敗。古者用師，日行三十里，步騎相須；今走而趨利，三分之二至。

When the road is near, many arrive, and so there is no loss or defeat. In olden times, when troops were used, they went thirty li in a day and foot and horse waited for one another. Now they run after profit, and two in three arrive.

道近至多，庶或有勝。

The road is near and many arrive, so there may now and then be a victory.

計彼我之勢，宜須爭者，或亦當然。雖三分二至，蓋其精銳者之力未至勞乏，不可決以爲敗，故不云「其法」也。

If, reckoning the force of his side and mine, it is a case where one ought to contend, then so to act is also right. Though two in three arrive, the strength of the picked troops has not come to weariness and exhaustion, and one cannot say for certain that he will be beaten. Hence it does not say "by this rule."

路近不疲，至者太半，不失行列之政，不絶人馬之力，庶幾可以爭勝。上三事皆謂舉軍而爭利也。

The road is near and they are not worn out, more than half arrive, the ordering of the ranks is not lost and the strength of men and horses is not cut off, so victory may be contended for. The three matters above all speak of raising the whole army to contend for profit.

無此三者，亡之道也。

Without these three it is the road to ruin.

無輜重者，闕所供也。袁紹有十萬之衆，魏武用荀攸計，焚燒紹輜重，而敗紹於官渡。無糧食者，雖有金城，不重於食也。夫子曰︰「足食、足兵，民信之矣。」故漢赤眉百萬衆無食，而君臣面縛宜陽。是以善用兵者，先耕而後戰。無委積者，財乏闕也。漢高祖無關中，光武無河內，魏武無兖州，軍北身遁，豈能復振也？

Having no baggage train means that what should be supplied runs short. Yuan Shao (袁紹) had a host of a hundred thousand, and Wu of Wei used the plan of Xun You (荀攸), burned Yuan Shao's baggage train, and beat him at Guandu (官渡). Having no food means that though there be a city of metal, nothing weighs more than food. Confucius (夫子) said, "Food enough and arms enough, and the people trust him." So the Red Eyebrows (赤眉) of Han (漢), a host of a million, had nothing to eat, and ruler and ministers had their hands bound at Yiyang (宜陽). Therefore one who is good at using troops ploughs first and fights after. Having no stores laid up (委積) means that goods run short. Had Gaozu of Han (高祖) not had Guanzhong (關中), Guangwu (光武) not had Hanei (河內), and Wu of Wei not had Yanzhou (兖州), with their armies beaten and themselves in flight, how could they have risen again?

輜重者，器械及軍士衣裝；委積者，財貨也。

The baggage train is the implements and weapons and the soldiers' clothing and kit; stores laid up are goods and money.

此說委軍爭利之難也。

This speaks of the hardness of leaving part of the army behind to contend for profit.

三者不可無，是不可委軍而爭利也。

These three cannot be lacking, which is to say that one cannot leave part of the army behind and contend for profit.

委積，謂薪蒭蔬材之屬；軍恃此三者以濟，不可輕離也。

Stores laid up are such things as firewood, fodder, greens and timber. An army leans on these three to get through, and they cannot lightly be parted from.

無輜重，則器用不供；無糧食，則軍餉不足；無委積，則財貨不充，皆亡覆之道。此三者謂委軍而爭利也。

With no baggage train the implements are not supplied; with no food the army's rations are not enough; with no stores laid up goods are not full. All are roads to ruin and overthrow. These three speak of leaving part of the army behind to contend for profit.

不知敵情謀者，不能結交也。

If one does not know the enemy's true state and his plans, one cannot make friends of others.

豫，備也。知敵之情，必備其交矣。

Yu (豫) is to make ready. If one knows how things stand with the enemy, he will surely make ready his friendships.

非也。豫，先也；交，交兵也。言諸侯之謀先須知之，然後可交兵合戰；若不知其謀，固不可與交兵也。

Not so. Yu is beforehand, and jiao is joining arms. It means that one must first know the plans of the other lords, and only then can he join arms and give battle; if he does not know their plans, he certainly cannot join arms with them.

曹說以爲不先知敵人之作謀，卽不能預結外援。二說並通。

The words of Cao Cao take it that if one does not first know the plans the enemy is laying, he cannot bind outside help to himself beforehand. Both explanations hold.

不知敵國之謀，則不能預交鄰國以爲援助也。

If one does not know the plans of the enemy state, he cannot make friends beforehand with neighboring states and get their help.

先知諸侯之實情，然後可與結交；不知其謀，則恐翻覆爲患。其鄰國爲援，亦軍爭之事。故下文云「先至而得天下之衆者，爲衢地」是也。

One must first know how things truly stand with the other lords, and only then can he bind friendship with them; if he does not know their plans, it is to be feared that they will turn about and become a trouble. Making neighboring states one's help is also a matter of the struggle for position. So the text below says, "Ground where one arrives first and gains the host of all under Heaven is the ground of crossroads (衢地)."

高而崇者爲山，衆樹所聚者爲林，坑壍者爲險，一高一下者爲阻，水草漸洳者爲沮，衆水所歸而不流者爲澤。不先知軍之所據及山川之形者，則不能行師也。

What is high and towering is a mountain; where trees stand gathered is a wood. Pits and ditches are the steep places; what is now high and now low is the blocked ground. Where water and grass are sodden is the wet ground (沮); where many waters gather and do not flow out is a marsh. If one does not first know where the army is to settle and the shape of the hills and rivers, one cannot move an army.

山林險阻之形，沮澤濘淖之所，必先審知。

The shape of the mountains and woods and the steep places, and where the marshes and quagmires lie, must first be examined and known.

高而崇者爲山，衆木聚者爲林，坑坎者爲險，一高一下者爲阻，水草漸洳者爲沮，衆水所歸而不流者爲澤。凡此地形，悉能知之，然後可與人爭利而行軍。

What is high and towering is a mountain; where many trees stand gathered is a wood; pits and ditches are the steep places; what is now high and now low is the blocked ground; what is sodden with water and grass is the wet ground; where many waters gather and do not flow out is a marsh. Only when one can know all these shapes of the ground can he contend for profit with another and move an army.

入敵境，恐山川隘狹，地土泥濘，井泉不利，使人導之以得地利。《易》曰「卽鹿無虞」，則其義也。

On entering the enemy's land it is to be feared that the hills and rivers will be narrow and strait, the ground muddy, and the wells and springs unfit; so one has men guide him and thus gains the advantage of the ground. The *Book of Changes* (易) says, "He goes after the deer without a forester," and that is the meaning.

《管子》曰︰「凡兵主者，必先審知地圖。轘轅之險，濫車之水，名山通谷，經川陵陸丘阜之所在，苴草林木蒲葦之所茂，道里之遠近，城郭之大小，名邑廢邑園殖之地，必盡知之，地形出入之相錯者盡藏之，然後不失地利。」衞公李靖曰︰「凡是賊徒，好相掩襲，須擇勇敢之夫，選明察之士，兼使鄉導，潛歷山林，密其聲，晦其跡。或刻爲獸足，而却履於中途；或上冠微禽，而幽伏於叢薄。然後傾耳以遠聽，竦目而深視，專智以度事機，注心而視氣色。覩水痕，則知敵濟之早晚；觀樹動，則可辨來宼之驅馳。故烽火莫若謹而審，旌旗莫若齊而一。賞罰必重而不欺，刑戮必嚴而不捨。敵之動靜，而我有備也；敵之機謀，而我先知也。」

The *Guanzi* (管子) says, "Whoever commands troops must first examine and know the maps: the steep ground of Huanyuan (轘轅), the waters that overturn carts, the famous mountains and the valleys that run through them, where the streams and ridges and plains and hillocks lie, where rank grass and woods and rushes and reeds grow thick, how far or near the roads run, how large or small the walled towns are, which are famous towns and which abandoned, and which lands are under cultivation: all this he must know fully. When all the ways in and out that cross one another in the shape of the ground are stored up in him, only then will he not lose the advantage of the ground." Li Jing, Duke of Wei (衞公 李靖), said, "The enemy's bands are fond of falling upon one another by surprise, so one must choose bold and daring men and pick out keen-eyed soldiers, and take local guides along as well, and pass secretly through the mountains and woods, stilling their sound and hiding their traces. Sometimes they carve what looks like an animal's foot and walk it backward along the way; sometimes they dress a small bird upon their heads and lie hidden deep in the thickets. Then they bend an ear to listen far off and raise their eyes to look deep, gather their wits to weigh the turn of events, and fix their minds on watching the enemy's color and bearing. Looking at the marks left by the water, one knows whether the enemy crossed early or late; watching the trees move, one can tell whether the raiders who come are driving on. So for beacon fires nothing is better than care and examination, and for banners nothing is better than being even and of one piece. Reward and punishment must be weighty and without deceit; penalties must be strict and let none off. Then the enemy moves or stays still and I have made ready for it; the enemy lays his plans and I know them first."

凡此地利，非用鄉人爲導引，則不能知地利也。

Advantages of the ground like these cannot be known unless men of the place are used as guides.

不任彼鄉人而導軍者，則不能得道路之便利也。

If one does not entrust men of that place with guiding the army, he cannot gain the ease of the roads.

凡丘陵原衍之向背，城邑道路之迂直，非人引導不能得也。

Which way the hills and the open plains face and turn away, and whether the walled towns and the roads run crooked or straight, cannot be got unless men guide one.

《鄉導略》曰︰從禽者，若無山虞之官，度其形勢之可否，則徒入於林中，終不能獲鹿矣。出征者，若無彼鄉之人導其道路之迂直，則雖至于境外，終不能獲宼矣。夫以奉辭致討，趨未歷之地，聲教未通，音驛所絶，深入其阻，不亦艱哉！我孤軍以往，彼密嚴而待，客主之勢已相遠矣；況其專任詭譎，多方以誤我。苟不計而直進，冒危而長驅，躋險則有壅決之害，晝行則有暴來之鬬，夜止則有虛驚之憂。倉卒無備，落其彀中，是乃擁熊虎之師，自投於死地，又安能摩逆壘、蕩狡穴乎？故敵國之山川、陵陸、丘阜之可以設險者，林木、蒲葦、茂草之可以隱藏者，道里之遠近，城郭之小大，邑落之寬狹，田壤之肥瘠，溝渠之深淺，蓄積之豐約，卒乘之衆寡，器械之堅脆，必能盡知之，則虜在目中，不足擒也。昔張騫嘗使大夏，留匈奴中久，導軍知利，善水草處，其軍得以無飢渴，茲亦能獲其便利也。凡用鄉導，或軍行虜獲其人，須防賊謀，陰持姦計，爲其誘誤。必在鑒其色，察其情，參驗數人之言，始終如一，乃可爲準。厚其頒賞，使之懷恩；豐其室家，使之係心。卽爲吾人，當無翻覆，然不如素畜堪用者，但能諳練行途，不必土人，亦可任也。仍選腹心智勇之士，挾而偕往，則巨細必審，指蹤無失矣。

The *Xiangdao lüe* (鄉導略) says: one who goes after game, if he has no officer of the hills to weigh for him whether the shape of the land will serve, only goes into the woods and in the end gets no deer. One who goes out to war, if he does not have men of that place guide him as to whether the roads run crooked or straight, may reach beyond the border and in the end take no enemy. To bear the ruler's word and go out to punish, hurrying to land one has never trodden, where speech and teaching do not pass and the ways of news are cut off, and there to go deep into steep places: is that not hard? I go as a lone army and the other side waits strictly and without a gap; the force of guest and host already lies far apart. Besides, they trust to trickery alone and seek in many ways to lead me astray. If one does not weigh matters but advances straight on, braving danger and driving far, then climbing steep places there is the harm of being blocked and swept away; marching by day there is sudden fighting; halting by night there is the trouble of false alarms. Caught unready in the rush of the moment, he falls within the enemy's bowshot; this is to take an army of bears and tigers under one's arm and cast oneself into the ground of death. And how then should he be able to batter the rebel's ramparts and sweep out their cunning dens? Therefore, among the enemy state's hills and rivers and plains and hillocks, which may be made steep and strong; among the woods and rushes and reeds and thick grass, which may hide men; how far or near the roads run; how large or small the walled towns; how wide or narrow the villages; how fat or lean the soil of the fields; how deep or shallow the ditches and channels; how ample or scant the stores laid up; how many or few the soldiers and chariots; how firm or brittle the weapons: if he can know all of this, the enemy is within his eye and is nothing hard to take. Long ago Zhang Qian (張騫) went as envoy to Daxia (大夏) and stayed long among the Xiongnu (匈奴); he guided the army and knew its advantage, choosing the places where water and grass were good, so that the army could go without hunger or thirst. This too was gaining that ease. In using local guides, where the army takes a man captive as it marches, one must guard against the enemy's plans: he may secretly hold a crooked design and lure me astray. One must look into his color and examine what is within him, and set the words of several men side by side; only when first and last are all of one piece can he be taken as a measure. Make his reward generous so that he cherishes the kindness; make his household well off so that his heart is tied. Then he becomes my man and will not turn about. Still, he is not as good as one kept ready beforehand and fit for use. A man who has learned the roads well may be entrusted with it even if he is not of that place. Beyond that, pick out trusted soldiers, wise and bold, to go along with him close at hand, and then great things and small will surely be examined, and in pointing out the tracks there will be no slip.

山川之夷險，道路之迂直，必用鄉人引而導之，乃可知其所利而爭勝。吳伐魯，鄫人導之以克武城是也。

Whether the hills and rivers are level or steep and whether the roads run crooked or straight must be got by using men of the place to lead and guide; only then can one know where the advantage lies and contend for victory. When Wu (吳) attacked Lu, the men of Zeng (鄫) guided them and Wucheng (武城) was taken: this is it.

詐敵人，使不知我本情，然後能立勝也。

He deceives the enemy so that he does not know how things truly stand with me, and only then can victory be set up.

非詭道，不能立事。

Without the way of deception, nothing can be set up.

謂以迂爲直，以患爲利也。

It means making the crooked road the straight one and trouble into profit.

張形勢，以誤敵也。

He spreads out a show of force to lead the enemy astray.

以變詐爲本，使敵不知吾奇正所在，則我可爲立。

He takes changing and deceiving for his ground, and keeps the enemy from knowing where my unorthodox and orthodox forces lie; then I can be set up.

利者，見利始動也。

Profit means that he moves only when he sees profit.

非利不可動。

Where there is no profit he cannot move.

誘之也。

It is luring him.

量敵可擊，則擊。

Weigh the enemy, and if he may be struck, strike.

見利乃動，不妄發也。《傳》曰︰「三軍以利動。」

He moves only on seeing profit, and does not set out at random. The *Zuo Commentary* (左傳) says, "The three armies move for profit."

兵一分一合，以敵爲變也。

The army now divides and now joins, changing according to the enemy.

以詭詐乘其利動，或合或分，以爲變化之形。

With deception he rides on that profit and moves, now joining, now dividing, to make the shape of change.

分合者，或分或合，以惑敵人；觀其應我之形，然後能變化以取勝也。

Dividing and joining means now dividing, now joining, to bewilder the enemy; he watches the shape in which the enemy meets him, and then can change and so take the victory.

乍合乍分，隨而更變之也。

Now joining for a moment, now dividing, and following along to change again.

兵法詭詐，以利動敵心；或合或離，爲變化之術。

The way of using troops is deception: with profit he moves the enemy's mind; now joining, now parting, he makes of it an art of change.

梅堯臣、王晳同曹操《註》。

The notes of Mei Yaochen (梅堯臣) and Wang Xi are the same as Cao Cao's.

或分散其形，或合聚其勢，皆因敵動靜而爲變化也。或曰︰變謂奇正相變，使敵莫測。故《衞公兵法》云︰「兵散則以合爲奇，兵合則以散爲奇。三令五申，三散三合，復歸於正焉。」

Scattering its shape or gathering its force are both changing in accord with whether the enemy moves or stays still. Some say that change means that the unorthodox and the orthodox change places with one another, so that the enemy cannot sound them out. So the *Duke of Wei's Art of War* (衞公兵法) says, "When the troops are scattered, make joining them the unorthodox move; when the troops are joined, make scattering them the unorthodox move. Give the order three times and make it plain five times, scatter three times and join three times, and then return to the orthodox."

擊空虛也。

It is striking where he is empty.

進退也。其來無跡，其退至疾也。

This is advancing and withdrawing. He comes without a trace, and withdraws with the utmost speed.

來無形跡。

He comes without shape or trace.

速乘虛也。

He is quick to take the opening where the enemy is empty.

何氏同梅堯臣《註》。

Mr. He's note is the same as Mei Yaochen's.

其來疾暴，所向皆靡。

His coming is swift and fierce, and wherever he turns, all is swept away.

不見利也。

No profit is in sight.

整陳而行。

He puts his ranks in order as he advances.

徐，緩也。言緩行之時，須有行列如林木也，恐爲敵人之掩襲也。

Xu (徐) is to be slow. It means that even when moving slowly the ranks must stand like the trees of a forest, for fear the enemy may fall upon him.

言緩行須有行列如林，以防其掩襲。

It means that when moving slowly the ranks must stand like a forest, so as to guard against the enemy falling upon him.

不見利不前，如風吹林，小動而其大不移。

If he sees no profit he does not advance. It is like wind blowing through a forest: there is a slight stirring, but the great trunks do not move.

如林之森然不亂也。

It is like a forest, dense and yet not disordered.

齊肅也。

This is being in order and grave.

徐，舒也。舒緩而行，若林木之森森然，謂未見利也。《尉繚子》曰「重者如山如林，輕者如炮如燔」也。

Xu is to be unhurried. Moving unhurriedly is like the trees of a forest standing dense; it means that he has not yet seen profit. The *Wei Liaozi* (尉繚子) says, "What is heavy is like a mountain and like a forest; what is light is like roasting on a fire and like burning."

疾也。

It is swift.

如火燎原，無遺草。

It is like fire burning over the fields and leaving not a single blade of grass.

猛烈不可嚮也。

He is sharp and fierce, and cannot be withstood.

侵掠敵國，若火燎原，不可往復。

His striking and seizing in the enemy's country is like fire burning over the fields: it cannot be turned back.

《詩》云︰「如火烈烈，莫我敢遏。」言勢如猛火之熾，誰敢禦我！

The *Classic of Poetry* (詩經) says, "The flames are fierce, and no one can stop me." It means that his force is like a fierce fire blazing up, so who would dare stop him?

守也。

It is defending.

駐軍也。

This is keeping the troops halted.

閉壁屹然，不可搖動也。

He closes his ramparts and stands towering, not to be shaken.

未見便利，敵誘誑我，我因不動，如山之安。

When he has not yet seen profit and the enemy would lure and deceive him, he does not move at all, but is at ease like a mountain.

峻不可犯。

He is high and steep, and cannot be encroached upon.

堅守也。

This is holding firm.

止如山之鎮靜。

In halting he is weighty and still, like a mountain.

所以持重也。《荀子‧議兵篇》云︰「圓居而方正，則若磐石然，觸之者角摧。」言不動之時，若山石之不可移；犯之者，其角立毁。

This is because he holds with weight. The chapter on the right use of troops in the *Xunzi* (荀子) says, "Halted he is round, standing he is square; he is like a great boulder, and whoever butts against him has his horns broken." It means that when he does not move he cannot be shifted, like the rock of a mountain, so that whoever encroaches upon him has his horns snapped off on the spot.

其勢不測如陰，不能覩萬象。

His force cannot be fathomed, as in the shadows, where none of the ten thousand shapes can be seen.

如玄雲蔽天，不見三辰。

It is like black clouds covering the sky, so that sun and moon and stars cannot be seen.

幽隱莫測。

He is deeply hidden and cannot be fathomed.

形藏也。

This is hiding his shape.

暗祕而不可料。

He is dark and secret, and cannot be fathomed.

如陰雲蔽天，莫覩辰象。

It is like shadowed clouds covering the sky, so that the shapes of the stars cannot be seen.

盛怒也。

His anger is at its height.

如空中擊下，不知所避也。

It is like a stroke coming down from Heaven: one does not know where to escape it.

其動也，疾不及應。太公曰︰「疾雷不及掩耳。」

His movement is so swift that there is no time to meet it. Taigong (太公) said, "At a sudden thunderclap there is no time to cover the ears."

迅不及避。

He is swift, and there is no time to escape.

不虞而至。

He arrives at a time not reckoned on.

藏謀以奮如此。

He hides his plans and then rouses himself, and it is like this.

如迅雷忽擊，不知所避，故太公曰︰「疾雷不及掩耳，迅電不及瞬目。」

It is like a sudden thunderclap crashing down, so that one does not know where to escape it. So Taigong said, "At a sudden thunderclap there is no time to cover the ears; at a sudden flash of lightning there is no time to close the eyes."

因敵而制勝也。

He makes his victory according to the enemy.

抄掠必分兵爲數道，懼不虞也。

When plundering he must divide his troops along several roads, for fear of what he has not reckoned on.

敵之鄉邑聚落無有守兵，六畜財穀易於剽掠，則須分番次第，使衆人皆得往也，不可獨有所往。如此，則大小強弱皆欲與敵爭利也。

When the enemy's villages and towns have no troops guarding them, and the beasts and goods and grain are easy to take, he should divide the men by turns so that all may go, and not let one man go alone. In this way great and small, strong and weak all wish to contend with the enemy for profit.

夫鄉邑村落，因非一處，察其無備，分兵掠之。

Villages and towns do not lie in one place, so he looks out where there is no guard and divides his troops to plunder.

「掠鄉」一作「指向」。

For "plunder the villages" (掠鄉) some copies read "point out where to head" (指向).

三軍不可言遣，故以旌旗指向；隊伍不可語傳，故以麾幟分衆。故因敵陳形可爲勢，此尤順，訓練分明，師徒服習也。

The three armies cannot be sent by word of mouth, so banners point out where they are to head. The ranks cannot be given orders by word of mouth, so flags and standards divide the host. In this way he can form his force according to the shape of the enemy's array. This reading runs more smoothly: the drill is plain and the troops grow used to it.

以饗士卒。

This is to feed the troops.

指所鄉以分其衆。鄉音向。

He points out where they are to head and divides his host accordingly. Xiang (鄉) is read as xiang (向), to head for.

得掠物，則與衆分。

When he gets the goods he has plundered, he shares them with the host.

用兵之道，大率務因糧於敵，然而鄉邑之民，所積不多，必分兵隨處掠之，乃可足用。

The way of using troops is on the whole to strive to get provisions from the enemy. But what the village people have stored is not much, so he must divide his troops and plunder in many places to have enough for his needs.

分敵利也。

He divides the enemy's profit.

得敵地，必分守利害。

When he gains the enemy's ground he must divide his troops to hold the key points.

廓，開也。開土拓境，則分割與有功者。韓信言於漢王曰︰「項王使人有功當封爵者，刻印刓忍不能與；今大王誠能反其道，以天下城邑封功臣，天下不足取也。」《三略》曰︰「獲地裂之。」

Kuo (廓) is to open up. When he opens ground and widens his borders, he parcels it out and gives it to those who have won merit. Han Xin (韓信) said to the king of Han, "King Xiang (項王), when he employs men and there is one who has won merit and ought to be enfeoffed with rank, has the seal cut and then only turns it over in his hands, unable to bring himself to give it. Now if Your Majesty will truly reverse that way and enfeoff the meritorious with the cities and towns of the world, the world will not be hard to win." The *Three Strategies* (三略) says, "When you gain ground, parcel it out."

言獲其土地，則屯兵種蒔，以分敵之利也。

It means that when he gains that ground he keeps troops there to plant grain, and so shares in the enemy's profit.

廓，度也。度敵所據地利，分其利也。

Kuo is to reckon. He reckons the profit of the ground the enemy holds, and shares out that profit.

與有功也。

This is giving it to those who have won merit.

廓視地形，以據便利，勿使敵專也。

He takes a wide view of the lie of the ground, holds the profitable places, and does not let the enemy hold them alone.

開廓平易之地，必分兵守利，不使敵人得之。或云︰得地則分賞有功者。今觀上下之文，恐非謂此也。

When he opens up wide and level ground he must divide his troops to hold the profitable places, so that the enemy cannot get them. Some say that when ground is gained it is parceled out as reward to those who have won merit. But looking at the text before and after, this does not seem to be what is meant.

量敵而動也。

He weighs the enemy and then moves.

權，量秤也。敵輕重與吾有銖鎰之別，則動。夫先動爲客，後動爲主，客難而主易。《太一遁甲》定計之算，明動易也。

Quan (權) is the balance. He moves when the enemy's weight against his own differs as a zhu (銖, the smallest weight) does from a yi (鎰, a great one). Whoever moves first is the guest and whoever moves later is the host; the guest's part is hard and the host's part easy. The reckoning by which plans are fixed in the *Taiyi dunjia* (太一遁甲) makes plain how easy the host's movement is.

如衡懸權，秤量已定，然後動也。

It is like hanging the weight on the balance arm: he moves only after the weight has already been measured.

何氏同杜牧《註》。

Mr. He's note is the same as Du Mu's.

如懸權於衡，量知輕重然後動也。《尉繚子》曰︰「權敵審將而後舉。」言權量敵之輕重，審察將之賢愚，然後舉也。

It is like hanging the weight on the balance arm: he moves only after measuring and knowing the weight. The *Wei Liaozi* says, "Weigh the enemy and examine his general, and only then raise troops." It means that he weighs the enemy's weight and examines whether the general is worthy or foolish, and only then raises them.

迂直，道路。勞佚餒寒，生於道路。

The crooked and the straight are said of the roads. Weariness and ease, hunger and cold all arise from the road.

言軍爭者，先須計遠近迂直，然後可以爲勝。其計量之審，如懸權於衡，不失錙銖，然後可以動而取勝，此乃軍爭勝之法也。

It means that in the struggle for position one can win only after reckoning what is far and what is near, what is crooked and what is straight. That reckoning must be as close as a weight hung on a balance, not off by a mote, and then he can move and win. This is the very way of winning the struggle for position.

稱量利害而動，在預知遠近之方則勝。

He weighs profit and harm before moving, and if he knows the far and the near roads beforehand he wins.

量敵審輕重而動，又知迂直必勝之道也。

He reckons the enemy and examines what is light and what is heavy before moving, and he also knows the crooked and the straight: this is the way of certain victory.

凡與人爭利，必先量道路之迂直，審察而後動，則無勞頓寒餒之患，而且進退遲速不失其機，故勝也。

Whenever he contends with another for profit he must first reckon and examine whether the road is crooked or straight, and only then move. Then there is no trouble of weariness or cold or hunger, and his advance and withdrawal, his slowness and speed, do not miss their time; so he wins.

軍之舊典。

It is an old code of the army.

古軍書。

It is an old book on war.

金，鉦鐸也。聽其音聲，以爲耳候。

Metal means gongs and bells. Their sound is heard and serves as the signal for the ear.

以威耳也。耳威於聲，不可不清。

This is taking the ear in hand. The ear is overborne by sound, and so cannot but be clear.

鼓鼙、鉦鐸之屬。坐作、進退，疾徐、疏數，皆有其節。

These are the great drum and the small drum, the gong and the bell and the like. Sitting and standing, advancing and withdrawing, fast and slow, sparse and frequent — all have their measure in them.

瞻其指麾，以爲目候。

His signaling is watched and serves as the signal for the eye.

以威目也。目威於色，不得不明。

This is taking the eye in hand. The eye is overborne by color, and so cannot but be bright.

表部曲行列齊整也。

This is showing that the units and ranks are in order.

鼓進鐸退，旌賞而旗罰。耳聽金鼓，目視旌旗，故不亂也。勇怯不能進退者，由旗鼓正也。

When the drum sounds they advance, when the bell sounds they withdraw; rewards are given by the jing (旌) banner and punishments by the qi (旗) banner. The ear listens to metal and drum and the eye watches the banners, and so there is no disorder. Neither the brave nor the timid can advance or fall back as he pleases, because banner and drum are correct.

夫用兵旣衆，占地必廣，首尾相遼，耳目不接，故設金鼓之聲，使之相聞，立旌旗之形，使之相見。視聽均齊，則雖百萬之衆，進退如一矣，故曰︰「鬬衆如鬬寡，形名是也。」

When the troops are many the ground they hold is wide, head and tail are far apart, and ear and eye do not reach. So the sound of metal and drum is set up that they may hear one another, and the shapes of banners raised that they may see one another. When seeing and hearing are even, a host of a million advances and withdraws as one. So it is said, "To make a host fight as a small force does is a matter of shape and name (形名)."

旌以出令，旗以應號。蓋旗者，卽今之信旗也。《軍法》曰︰「當進不進，當退不退者，斬之。」吳起與秦人戰，戰未合，有一夫不勝其勇，前獲雙首而返，吳起斬之。軍吏進諫曰︰「此材士也，不可斬。」吳起曰︰「信材士，非令也。」乃斬之。

Orders are given out by the jing banner and signals answered by the qi banner. The qi is what is now called the signal banner (信旗). The *Junfa* (軍法) says, "Whoever does not advance when he should advance, or does not fall back when he should fall back, is beheaded." When Wu Qi (吳起) fought the men of Qin, before the lines had closed one soldier could not master his own boldness, went forward, cut off two heads and came back; and Wu Qi beheaded him. An officer came forward to stop him, saying, "This is a soldier of talent; he must not be beheaded." Wu Qi said, "That he is a soldier of talent is true, but it was not the order," and beheaded him.

一人之耳目者，謂使人之視聽齊一而不亂也。鼓之則進，金之則止；麾右則右，麾左則左，不可以勇怯而獨先也。

To make the ears and eyes one means to bring the seeing and hearing of the men into order so that there is no confusion. When the drum is beaten they advance, when the metal is struck they halt; signaled to the right they go right, signaled to the left they go left; and no man may go ahead alone because he is bold, nor yet because he is afraid.

使三軍之衆，勇怯、進退齊一者，鼓鐸旌旗之爲也。

That the host of the three armies is made even in boldness and fear, in advance and withdrawal, is the work of drum and bell and banner.

士卒專心一意，惟在於金鼓旌旗之號令。當進則進，當退則退，一有違者，必戮。故曰︰令不進而進，與令不退而退，厥罪惟均。《尉繚子》曰︰「鼓鳴旗麾，先登者未嘗非多力國士也，將者之過也。」言不可賞先登獲儁者，恐進退不一耳。

That the troops gather their minds into one rests wholly on the commands of metal and drum and banner. When they should advance they advance, when they should fall back they fall back; and if there is one who disobeys, he is surely put to death. So it is said that to advance when told not to advance and to fall back when told not to fall back are the same offense. The *Wei Liaozi* says, "When the drum sounds and the banner signals, the first man up the wall is never other than a gentleman of a strong state; yet this is the general's fault." It means that no reward should be given to the man who climbs up first and wins outstanding merit, for fear that advance and withdrawal should cease to be as one.

火鼓，夜之所視聽；旌旗，晝之所指揮。

Fires and drums are what is seen and heard by night; banners are what signal by day.

令軍士耳目，皆隨旌旗火鼓而變也。或曰︰夜戰多火鼓，其旨如何？夜黑之後，必無原野列陳，與敵刻期而戰也。軍襲敵營，鳴鼓然火，適足以警敵人之耳，明敵人之目，於我返害，其義安在？答曰︰富哉問乎！此乃孫武之微旨也。凡夜戰者，蓋敵人來襲我壘，不得已而與之戰，其法在於立營之法與陳小同。故《志》曰︰「止則爲營，行則爲陳。」蓋大陳之中，必包小陳；大營之內，亦包小營。蓋前後左右之軍，各自有營環遶。大將之營，居於中央，諸營環之，隅落鈎聯，曲折相對，象天之壁壘星。其營相去上不過百步，下不過五十步，道徑通達，足以出隊列部，壁壘相望，足以弓弩相救。每於十字路口，必立小堡，上致柴薪，穴爲暗道，胡梯上之，令人看守。夜黑之後，聲鼓四起，卽以燔燎。是以賊夜襲我，雖入營門，四顧屹然，復有小營，各自堅守，東西南北，未知所攻。大將營或諸小營中，先知有賊至者，放令盡入，然後擊鼓，諸營齊應，衆堡燎火，明如晝日。諸營兵士，於是閉門登壘，下瞰敵人，勁弩彊弓，四向俱發。敵人雖有韓、白之將，鬼神之兵，亦無能計也。唯恐夜不襲我，來則必敗。若敵人或能潛入一營，卽諸營舉火出兵，四面繞之，號令營中，不得輒動，須臾之際，善惡自分。賊若出走，皆在羅網矣。故司馬宣王入諸葛亮營壘，見其曲折，曰︰「此天下之奇才也！」今之立營，通洞豁達，雜以居之，若有賊夜來斫營，萬人一時驚擾，雖多致斥候，嚴爲備守，晦黑之後，彼我不分，雖有衆力，亦不能用。

This is making the ears and eyes of the troops all change in accord with banner and fire and drum. Someone asked, "What is meant by using many fires and drums in night fighting? After dark there is no drawing up a line in open country and fixing a day to fight the enemy. If one strikes the enemy's camp while sounding drums and showing fires, he only wakes the enemy's ears and lights the enemy's eyes, which harms us. Where does the meaning lie?" The answer: a good question. This is the very depth of Sun Wu's meaning. Night fighting is when the enemy comes to attack our ramparts and we have no choice but to meet him and fight; and its way lies in this, that the way of setting up a camp is not much different from the way of drawing up a line. So the old records say, "Halted, it is a camp; moving, it is a line." Within a great line there is always a small line, and within a great camp a small camp as well. The armies of van and rear and left and right each have their own camps ringing it about. The commander's camp is in the middle and the several camps ring it, their corners linked like hooks and their bends facing one another, after the pattern of the Rampart stars (壁壘星) in heaven. The camps stand at most a hundred paces apart and at the nearest no closer than fifty, with roads open so that units can be sent out and drawn up, and ramparts within sight of one another so that bow and crossbow can come to each other's aid. At every crossroads a small rampart must be raised, with firewood piled on top, holes bored for hidden passages, ladders to climb by, and men set to guard it. After dark, as soon as the drums rise on all four sides, the fires are lit. So when the enemy comes by night to attack us and enters the camp gate, he looks about on all sides and there stand yet more small camps, each holding firm, and he does not know whether to strike east or west or south or north. Whichever first knows of the enemy's coming, the commander's camp or one of the small camps, lets the enemy come all the way in and then beats the drum; the several camps answer at once, and the several ramparts send up fires until it is bright as broad day. The troops of the several camps thereupon close their gates, climb their ramparts, look down on the enemy, and shoot together from all four sides with stiff crossbows and strong bows. Though the enemy had generals like Han Xin and Bai Qi (白起) and soldiers like spirits, there would be nothing he could do. One need only fear that he will not come by night to attack us; if he comes he must be beaten. Should the enemy slip into one camp, the several camps at once take up fires and send out troops to ring it on all sides, and orders are given within the camp that no one is to move at will. In a moment our own men and the enemy sort themselves out. Though the enemy would flee, he is all within the net. So when Sima Xuanwang entered Zhuge Liang's camp and saw how its bends were put together he said, "This is the finest talent in the world." Nowadays camps are set up wide open and bare, with men quartered all mixed together, so that when the enemy comes by night and attacks the camp ten thousand men are startled into confusion all at once. Though many scouts are posted and the guard kept strict, after dark that side and this cannot be told apart, and however much strength there is, it cannot be used.

杜言夜黑之後，必無原野列陳，與敵人刻期而戰，非也。天寶末，李光弼以五百騎趨河陽，多列火炬，首尾不息。史思明數萬之衆，不敢逼之，豈止待賊斫營而已？

Du Mu is wrong to say that after dark there is no drawing up a line in open country and fixing a day to fight the enemy. At the end of the Tianbao (天寶) years Li Guangbi (李光弼) raced to Heyang (河陽) with five hundred horsemen, setting out so many torches that from head to tail there was no break in them, and the tens of thousands under Shi Siming (史思明) did not dare come near. How should this be only a matter of waiting for the enemy to come and attack the camp?

火鼓旌旗，可以聽望，故晝夜異用之。

Fires and drums and banners are things that can be heard and watched, and so they are used differently by day and by night.

多者，欲以變惑敵人耳目。

Using many of them is to confuse the enemy's ears and eyes.

多者，所以震駭視聽，使慹我之威武聲氣也。《傳》曰︰「多鼓鈞聲，以夜軍之。」

Using many of them is to shake his seeing and hearing so that he is overborne by our majesty and force. The *Zuo Commentary* says, "They set up many drums to make the sound even, and moved the troops by night."

凡與敵戰，夜則火鼓不息，晝則旌旗相續，所以變亂敵人之耳目，使不知其所以備我之計。越伐吳，夾水而陳。越爲左右句卒，使夜或左或右，鼓譟而進。吳師分以禦之，遂爲越所敗。是惑以火鼓也。晉伐齊，使司馬斥山澤之險，雖所不至，必旆而疎陳之。齊侯畏而脫歸。是惑以旌旗也。

Whenever he fights the enemy, by night he keeps fires and drums unbroken and by day he sets up banner after banner, to confuse the enemy's ears and eyes so that he cannot find a plan to block us. When Yue (越) attacked Wu they drew up their lines with a river between them. Yue set hook units on the left and the right, and by night had them beat drums and shout and advance, now from the left, now from the right; the troops of Wu divided to block them and at last were beaten by Yue. This was confusing him with fires and drums. When Jin attacked Qi (齊), the marshals were sent to look over the steep places among the hills and marshes, and even where the army had not come banners were set up and the lines drawn up thinly. The ruler of Qi took fright and slipped away home. This was confusing him with banners.

《左氏》言︰「一鼓作氣，再而衰，三而竭。」

The Zuoshi zhuan (左氏傳) says, "At the first beat of the drum the spirit rises, at the second it wanes, at the third it is spent."

奪氣，奪其銳勇。齊伐魯，戰於長勺。齊人一鼓，公將戰，曹劌曰︰「未可。」齊人三鼓，劌曰︰「可矣。」乃戰，齊師敗績。公問其故，劌曰︰「夫戰，勇氣也，一鼓作氣，再而衰，三而竭。彼竭我盈，故克之。」奪三軍之氣也。

To take the spirit is to take away his keen boldness. Qi attacked Lu and they fought at Changshao (長勺). When the men of Qi had beaten their drum once, Duke Zhuang wished to fight, but Cao Gui (曹劌) said, "Not yet." When the men of Qi had beaten their drum three times Cao Gui said, "Now." They fought, and the army of Qi was heavily beaten. The duke asked why, and Cao Gui said, "Fighting is a matter of courage. At the first beat of the drum the spirit rises, at the second it wanes, at the third it is spent. Theirs was spent and ours was full, and so we won." This was taking the spirit of the three armies.

《司馬法》︰「戰以力久，以氣勝。」齊伐魯，莊公將戰於長勺。公將鼓之，曹劌曰︰「未可。」齊人三鼓，劌曰︰「可矣。」齊師敗績。公問其故，對曰︰「夫戰，勇氣也，一鼓作氣，再而衰，三而竭。彼竭我盈，故克之。」晉將毌丘儉、文欽反，諸軍屯樂嘉，司馬景王銜枚徑造之。欽子鴦，年十八，勇冠三軍，曰︰「及其未定，請登城鼓噪擊之，可破。」旣而三噪之，欽不能應。鴦退，相與引而東。景王謂諸將曰︰「欽走矣。」發銳軍以追之。諸將曰︰「欽舊將鴦小而銳，引軍內入，未有失利，必不走也。」王曰︰「一鼓作氣，再而衰，三而竭。鴦鼓而欽不應，其勢已屈，不走何待？」欽果引去。

The *Sima fa* says, "Fighting draws out by strength and wins by spirit." When Qi attacked Lu, Duke Zhuang would fight at Changshao. The duke wished to beat the drum, but Cao Gui said, "Not yet." When the men of Qi had beaten their drum three times Cao Gui said, "Now," and the army of Qi was heavily beaten. The duke asked why, and he answered, "Fighting is a matter of courage. At the first beat of the drum the spirit rises, at the second it wanes, at the third it is spent. Theirs was spent and ours was full, and so we won." Guanqiu Jian (毌丘儉) and Wen Qin (文欽), generals of Jin, rose in revolt, and their several armies halted at Lejia (樂嘉); Sima Jingwang (司馬景王) gagged his men's mouths to still the sound and came straight upon them. Wen Qin's son Wen Yang (文鴦) was eighteen and first in boldness among the three armies, and he said, "If we climb the wall and beat drums and shout and strike before they are settled, we can break them." Then he shouted three times, but Wen Qin could not answer him. Wen Yang drew back, and together they led their troops east. Jingwang said to his generals, "Wen Qin has fled," and sent out light troops to pursue him. His generals said, "Wen Qin is a general of long standing and Wen Yang is young but keen; they led their troops inside and have not yet been beaten, so surely they have not fled." The king said, "At the first beat of the drum the spirit rises, at the second it wanes, at the third it is spent. Wen Yang beat his drum and Wen Qin did not answer; his spirit is already broken. What should he wait for but flight?" And Wen Qin had indeed led his troops away.

震𢟯衰惰，則軍氣奪矣。

When they are startled and trembling, worn and idle, the army's spirit has been taken.

《淮南子》曰︰「將充勇而輕敵，卒果敢而樂戰，三軍之衆，百萬之師，志厲青雲，氣如飄風，聲如雷霆，誠積踰而威加敵人，此謂氣勢。」《吳子》曰︰「三軍之衆，百萬之師，張設輕重，在於一人，是謂氣機。」故奪氣者有所待，有所乘，則可矣。

The *Huainanzi* (淮南子) says, "When the general is full of boldness and makes light of the enemy, and the troops are bold and glad to fight; when the host of the three armies and a million men have purpose reaching to the blue clouds, force like a whirlwind and voices like thunder, so that their sincerity gathers and overflows and their majesty is laid upon the enemy — this is called the force of spirit (氣勢)." The *Wuzi* says, "That the host of the three armies and a million men can be drawn up light or heavy rests on one man; this is called the spring of spirit (氣機)." So in taking the spirit there is a time to wait for and a time to seize, and only then can it be done.

氣者，戰之所恃也。夫含生禀血，鼓作鬬爭，雖死不省者，氣使然也。故用兵之法，若激其士卒，令上下同怒，則其鋒不可當。故敵人新來而氣銳，則且以不戰挫之，伺其衰倦而後擊，故彼之銳氣可以奪也。《尉繚子》謂「氣實則鬬，氣奪則走」者，此之謂也。曹劌言「一鼓作氣」者，謂初來之氣盛也；「再而衰，三而竭」者，謂陳久而人倦也。又，李靖曰︰「守者，不止完其壁、堅其陳而已，必也守吾氣而有待焉。」所謂守其氣者，常養吾之氣，使銳盛而不衰，然後彼之氣可得而奪也。

Spirit is what fighting leans upon. That all things with life and blood rouse themselves at the drum and fight and do not look back though they die is the work of spirit. So in the way of using troops, if he heartens his own men so that high and low are angry together, their keenness cannot be withstood. Therefore when the enemy has just come and his spirit is keen, he first declines to fight and so blunts that spirit, and waits until it wanes and tires before striking. In this way he can take away the other's keen spirit. When the *Wei Liaozi* says, "With spirit full they fight, with spirit taken they flee," this is what it means. When Cao Gui said, "At the first beat of the drum the spirit rises," he spoke of the spirit being at its height when they have just come; and when he said, "At the second it wanes and at the third it is spent," he spoke of the men being worn out after long standing in line. And Li Jing said, "Defending is not merely keeping the ramparts whole and the line firm; one must guard his own spirit and wait for the time." What is called guarding one's own spirit is always to nourish our spirit so that it is keen and full and does not wane; only then can the other's spirit be taken.

怒之令憤，撓之令亂，間之令踈，卑之令驕，則彼之心可奪也。

Anger him so that he is enraged, shake him so that he is disordered, set his men apart so that they grow distant, and humble yourself so that he grows arrogant: then the other's heart can be taken.

心者，將軍心中所倚賴以爲軍者也。後漢宼恂征隗囂，囂將高峻守高平第一。峻遣軍將皇甫文出謁恂，辭禮不屈，恂怒斬之，遣其副。峻惶恐，卽日開城門降。諸將曰︰「敢問殺其使而降其城，何也？」恂曰︰「皇甫文，峻之腹心，其所取計者。今來，辭氣不屈，必無降心。全之，則文得其計；殺之，則峻亡其膽，是以降耳。」後燕慕容垂遣子寶率衆伐後魏。始寶之來，垂已有疾。自到五原，道武帝斷其來路，父子問絶。道武乃詭其行人之辭，令臨河告之曰︰「父已死，何不遽還？」寶兄弟聞之，憂懼以爲信然，因夜遁去。道武襲之，大破於參合陂。

The heart is what the general leans upon in leading his troops. When Kou Xun (宼恂) of the Later Han attacked Wei Ao (隗囂), Wei Ao's general Gao Jun (高峻) held the first city of Gaoping (高平). Gao Jun sent his army officer Huangfu Wen (皇甫文) to see Kou Xun, and his words and bearing did not bend; so Kou Xun in anger beheaded him and sent his deputy back. Gao Jun took fright and that same day opened the gates and surrendered. His generals said, "We make bold to ask how it was that by killing the envoy you brought that city to surrender." Kou Xun said, "Huangfu Wen was Gao Jun's trusted man and the maker of his plans. He came this time and his words and his looks did not bend, so surely he had no mind to surrender. Had I let him live, Gao Jun would have had his plans; by killing him, Gao Jun lost his nerve, and so he surrendered." Later Murong Chui (慕容垂) of Yan (燕) sent his son Murong Bao (慕容寶) to lead a host against the Later Wei (後魏). When Murong Bao set out Murong Chui was already ill. When Murong Bao reached Wuyuan (五原), Emperor Daowu (道武帝) cut the road by which he had come, and father and son were cut off from each other. Daowu had men feign the words of an envoy and go to the riverside to call out, "Your father is already dead; why do you not go back quickly?" Murong Bao and his brothers heard it, grew anxious and afraid, took it for the truth, and fled by night. Daowu pursued them and broke them heavily at Canhebei (參合陂).

以鼓旗之變，惑奪其氣；軍旣奪氣，將亦奪心。

By the changes of drum and banner he confuses the enemy and takes his spirit; and when an army's spirit is taken, its general's heart is taken too.

紛亂諠譁，則將心奪矣。

When they are in confusion and uproar, the general's heart has been taken.

先須己心能固，然後可以奪敵將之心。故《傳》曰「先人有奪人之心」，《司馬法》曰「本心固，新氣勝」者是也。

He must first be firm in his own heart, and only then can he take the heart of the enemy's general. So the *Zuo Commentary* says, "To be ahead of another is to take another's heart," and the *Sima fa* says, "When the heart one started with is firm and the new spirit is full, he wins." This is it.

心者，將之所主也。夫治亂、勇怯，皆主於心。故善制敵者，撓之而使亂，激之而使惑，迫之而使懼，故彼之心謀可以奪也。《傳》曰「先人有奪人之心」，謂奪其本心之計也。又，李靖曰︰「攻者，不止攻其城、擊其陳而已，必有攻其心之術焉。」所謂攻其心者，常養吾之心，使安閑而不亂，然後彼之心可得而奪也。

The heart is what the general is master by. Order and disorder, boldness and fear all begin in the heart. So one who handles the enemy well shakes him into disorder, stirs him into bewilderment, and presses him into fear. In this way he can take the other's heart and his plans. When the *Zuo Commentary* says, "To be ahead of another is to take another's heart," it means taking away the plan he had first in mind. And Li Jing said, "Striking is not merely striking his walls and striking his lines; there is a way of striking his heart as well." What is called striking his heart is always to nourish our own heart so that it is unhurried and undisturbed; only then can the other's heart be taken.

初來之氣，氣方盛銳，勿與之爭也。

The spirit of men newly come is at its fullest and keenest, and it should not be contended with.

《司馬法》曰︰「新氣勝舊氣。」新氣卽朝氣也。

The *Sima fa* says, "New spirit overcomes old spirit." New spirit is just the morning spirit.

士衆凡初舉，氣銳也。

When the troops have only just begun to move, their spirit is keen.

漸久少怠。

As time goes on they grow little by little idle.

朝氣，初氣也；晝氣，再作之氣也；暮氣，衰竭之氣也。

The morning spirit is the spirit at the start, the midday spirit is the spirit raised a second time, and the evening spirit is the spirit worn out and spent.

朝，言其始也；晝，言其中也；暮，言其終也。謂兵始而銳，久則惰而思歸，故可擊。

Morning speaks of the beginning, midday of the middle, and evening of the end. It means that troops are keen at first, and when time goes on grow idle and think of going home; and so they can be struck.

怠久意歸，無復戰理。

When they have long been idle and their hearts are set on going home, there is no reason left for them to fight.

氣者，軍之氣勇。

Spirit is the courage of an army.

陽氣生於子，成於寅，衰於午，伏於申。凡晨朝，陽氣初盛，其來必銳，故須避之；候其衰，伏擊之，必勝。武德中，太宗與竇建德戰於汜水東。建德列陳，彌亘數里。太宗將數騎登高觀之，謂諸將曰︰「賊度險而囂，是軍無政令；逼城而陳，有輕我心。按兵不出，待敵氣衰，陳久卒飢，必將自退，退而擊之，何往不克！」建德列陳，自卯至午，兵士飢倦，悉列坐右，又爭飲水。太宗曰︰「可擊矣！」遂戰，生擒建德。

The yang breath (陽氣) is born at the hour of zi (子), comes to its full at yin (寅), wanes at wu, and lies down at shen. In the early morning the yang breath is first at its height, so his coming is sure to be keen and must be avoided; wait for it to wane, strike while it lies down, and the victory is sure. In the Wude (武德) years Taizong fought Dou Jiande east of the Si River (汜水). Dou Jiande drew up his line, and it stretched for several li. Taizong took a few horsemen up a height to look, and said to his generals, "The enemy crosses the steep ground in an uproar, which means that order and command are not kept in his army; and he has drawn up his line close against the walls, which means he has a mind to make light of us. Hold the troops back and do not go out, and wait for the enemy's spirit to wane: long in line, his men will hunger and must fall back of themselves. Strike him as he falls back, and where should we not win?" Dou Jiande kept his line drawn up from the hour of mao (卯) until wu, and his men grew hungry and weary, all sat down in their ranks, and moreover scrambled for water. Taizong said, "Now he may be struck," and so he fought and took Dou Jiande alive.

有辰巳列陳，至午未未勝者，午未列陳，至申酉未勝者，不必事須晨旦而爲陽氣，申午而爲衰氣也。太宗之攻建德也，登高而望之，謂諸將曰︰「賊盡銳來攻，我當少避之；退，則可以騎留之。」以明不須晨旦也。凡彼有銳，則如此避之，不然則否。

There have been cases of drawing up the line at the hours of chen (辰) and si and still not winning by wu and wei, and cases of drawing up at wu and wei and still not winning by shen and you (酉). It is not that the yang breath must be the early morning, nor that the waned spirit must be shen or wu. When Taizong struck Dou Jiande he went up a height to look and said to his generals, "The enemy comes on to strike with all his keenness; we should give way a little. When he falls back we can hold him with horsemen." By this it is made plain that it need not be the early morning. Whenever there is keenness on the other side he avoids it in this way; where there is not, he does not.

避其精銳之氣，擊其懈惰、欲歸，此理氣者也。曹劌之說是也。

He avoids their keen spirit and strikes them when they are idle and longing for home: this is to govern the spirit. Cao Gui's words are this.

氣盛勿擊，衰懈易敗。

When the spirit is full he should not strike; when it wanes and grows idle, they are easily broken.

夫人情，莫不樂安而惡危，好生而懼死，無故驅之就卧尸之地，樂趨於兵戰之場，其心之所畜，非有忿怒欲鬬之氣，一旦乘而激之，冒難而不顧，犯危而不畏，則未嘗不悔而怯矣。今夫天下懦夫，心有所激，則率爾爭鬬，不啻諸、劌。至於操刃而求鬬者，氣之所乘也；氣衰則息，惻然而悔矣。故三軍之視強宼如視處女者，乘其忿怒而有所激也。是以卽墨之圍，五千人擊却燕師者，乘燕劓降掘塚之怒也。秦之鬬士倍我者，因三施無報之怒，所以我怠而秦奮也。二者，治氣有道，而所用乘其機也。

There is no man whose heart does not love ease and hate danger, wish to live and fear to die. That men are driven for no cause into the ground where corpses lie, and run gladly to the field of battle, cannot come about except by the spirit of a heart so filled with anger that it would fight. Ride upon it and hearten it of a morning, and they face hardship without looking back and go through danger without fear; yet afterwards there was never a time when they did not repent and take fright. Even the softest men in the world today, if something swells up in their hearts, will readily contend and fight, no less than Zhuan Zhu (專諸) or Cao Gui. That it comes to taking up a blade and seeking a fight is because the spirit has been ridden; and when the spirit wanes they stop, and pity, and repent. So that the three armies look upon a fierce enemy as upon a maiden is because their anger has been ridden and heartened. Thus when Jimo (卽墨) was surrounded, that five thousand men drove off the army of Yan was riding upon their anger at Yan's cutting off the noses of those who had surrendered and digging up their graves; and that Qin's fighting men were twice our number was from anger that three favors had been shown and nothing given in return, so that we grew idle while Qin roused itself. In these two there was a way of governing the spirit, and what was used rode upon the opening.

朝喻始，晝喻中，暮喻末，非以早晚爲辭也。凡人之氣，初來新至則勇銳，陳久人倦則衰。故善用兵者，當其銳盛，則堅守以避之；待其惰歸，則出兵以擊之。此所謂善治己之氣，以奪人之氣者也。前趙將游子遠之敗伊餘羌，唐武德中太宗之破竇建德，皆用此術。

Morning stands for the beginning, midday for the middle, and evening for the end; it is not said of early and late. The spirit of men, when they are newly come and fresh, is quick and keen; when they have long stood in line and the men are worn out, it wanes. So one who uses troops well, when the enemy's spirit is keen and full, holds firm and avoids him, and waits until he grows idle and would go home before sending out troops to strike. This is what is called governing one's own spirit well and taking another's. When Youzi Yuan (游子遠), a general of the Former Zhao (前趙), broke the Yiyu Qiang (伊餘羌), and when Taizong broke Dou Jiande in the Wude years of Tang, both used this rule.

伺敵之變，因而乘之。

It is to watch for the enemy's changes and ride upon them.

《司馬法》曰︰「本心固。」言料敵制勝，本心已定，但當調治之，使安靜堅固，不爲事撓，不爲利惑，候敵之亂，伺敵之譁，則出兵攻之矣。

The *Sima fa* says, "The original heart is firm." This says that when one measures the enemy and makes victory, if the original heart is already settled one has only to govern it evenly, making it calm and quiet and firm, so that it is not shaken by events nor bewitched by profit. Then one waits for the enemy to fall into disorder and watches for the enemy to grow clamorous, and sends out troops and strikes.

政令不一，賞罰不明，謂之亂；旌旗錯雜，行伍輕囂，謂之譁。審敵如是，則出攻之。

When decrees and orders are not of one piece and reward and punishment are not clear, it is called disorder; when the banners are jumbled and the ranks light and noisy, it is called clamor. When he examines the enemy and finds him so, he goes out and strikes.

以我之整治，待敵之撓亂；以我之清淨，待敵之諠譁，此治心者也。故太公曰「事莫大於必克，用莫大於玄默」也。

With our own evenness we wait for the enemy's shaking and disorder, and with our own clearness and quiet we wait for the enemy's clamor; this is to govern the heart. So Taigong said, "In affairs nothing is greater than being sure to win, and in use nothing is greater than being deeply still."

鎮靜待敵，衆心則寧。

If he is composed and quiet and waits for the enemy, the hearts of the many are at ease.

王晳同陳皥《註》。

Wang Xi's note is the same as Chen Hao's (陳皥) note.

夫將以一身之寡，一心之微，連百萬之衆，對虎狼之敵，利害之相雜，勝負之紛揉，權智萬變，而措置於胸臆之中，非其中廓然，方寸不亂，豈能應變而不窮，處事而不迷，卒然遇大難而不驚，案然接萬物而不惑？吾之治足以待亂，吾之靜足以待譁，前有百萬之敵，而吾視之，則如遇小宼。亞夫之禦宼也，堅卧而不起；欒箴之臨敵也，好以整，又好以暇。夫審此二人者，蘊以何術哉？蓋其心治之有素，養之有餘也。

A general, with the smallness of one body and the littleness of one heart, commands a host of a million and faces an enemy like tigers and wolves. Profit and harm are jumbled together, winning and losing are entangled, and the plans that meet each turn change ten thousand ways, yet he holds all this in his breast and deals with it. Unless he is wide open within and his heart is not in disorder, how could he answer change without being blocked, deal with affairs without losing his way, meet great hardship of a sudden without alarm, and face a hundred matters at leisure without being bewitched? If my order is enough to wait for the enemy's disorder and my quiet is enough to wait for the enemy's clamor, then though a million enemies stand before me, to my eye it is like meeting a small band of thieves. When Zhou Yafu (周亞夫) blocked the enemy he lay firm and did not rise; when Luan Zhen (欒箴) met the enemy he loved evenness and loved leisure as well. Look at these two men: what law was it that they held within? They had governed their hearts long and nourished them amply.

治以待亂，靜以待譁，安以待躁，忍以待忿，嚴以待懈，此所謂善治己之心以奪人之心者也。

With order he waits for disorder, with quiet for clamor, with ease for haste, with patience for rage, with strictness for slackness. This is what is called governing one's own heart well and taking away another's.

客主之勢。

It is the conformation of guest and host.

上文云「致人而不致於人」是也。

What the text above calls "drawing another on and not being drawn by another" is this.

以我之近，待彼之遠；以我之閑佚，待彼之疲勞；以我之充飽，待彼之飢虛。此理人力者也。

With our own nearness we wait for the other side's distance, with our own leisure and ease we wait for his weariness, and with our own fullness we wait for his hunger. This is to govern the strength of men.

無困竭人力以自弊。

He wears out and spends the strength of men, so that there is no crumbling of itself on his own side.

以餘制不足，善治力也。

He presses down what is wanting with what he has to spare; this is to govern strength well.

近以待遠，佚以待勞，飽以待飢，誘以待來，重以待輕，此所謂善治己之力，以困人之力者也。

With nearness he waits for distance, with ease for weariness, with fullness for hunger, with luring for the enemy's coming, with weight for lightness. This is what is called governing one's own strength well and wearing out another's.

正正，齊也；堂堂，大也。

Good order (正正) means even and aligned; standing firm and full (堂堂) means great.

正正者，齊整也；堂堂者，部分也。

Zhengzheng means evenness; tangtang means that the companies have divided and taken their own places.

堂堂者，無懼也。兵者，隨敵而變；敵有如此，則勿擊之，是能治變也。後漢曹公圍鄴，袁尚來救。公曰︰「尚若從大道來，當避之；若循西山來，此成擒耳。」尚果循西山來，逆擊，大破之也。

Tangtang is to be without fear. Troops change according to the enemy, and when the enemy is like this one must not strike. This is to know how to govern change. In the Later Han, when Lord Cao ringed Ye (鄴), Yuan Shang (袁尚) came to the rescue. Lord Cao said, "If Yuan Shang comes by the high road we must avoid him; if he comes along the Western Hills (西山) he will simply be taken." Yuan Shang did indeed come along the Western Hills, and Lord Cao met him and struck and broke him utterly.

正正而來，堂堂而陳，示無懼也，必有奇變。

To come evenly and to set a line that stands firm and full is to show that one is without fear; there is sure to be some unlooked-for change.

本可要擊，以視整齊盛大，故變。

One could well have blocked the pass and struck, but having seen that the enemy is even and in full strength one changes one's thought.

所謂「強則避之」。

It is what is called "avoid them when they are strong."

正正，謂形名齊整也；堂堂，謂行陳廣大也。敵人如此，豈可輕戰？《軍政》曰︰「見可而進，知難而退。」又曰︰「強而避之。」言須識變通。此所謂善治變化之道，以應敵人者也。

Zhengzheng says that the shapes and signals are even; tangtang says that the ranks and the line are broad and great. When the enemy is like this, how should one fight lightly? The *Military Ordinances* says, "Seeing what may be done, advance; knowing the hardship, withdraw," and also, "Avoid them when they are strong." This says that one must know how to get through change. This is what is called governing the way of change well and answering the enemy.

地勢也。

It is the conformation of the ground.

向者，仰也。背者，倚也。逆者，迎也。言敵在高處，不可仰攻；敵倚丘山下來求戰，不可逆之。此言自下趨高者力乏，自高趨下者勢順也，故不可向迎。

To face (向) is to look up at; to have at one's back (背) is to lean upon; to go against (逆) is to meet head-on. This says that when the enemy is on high ground one must not look up and strike him, and that when the enemy comes down with hill and mountain at his back and offers battle one must not meet him head-on. This says that he who goes from below to the heights is wanting in strength while he who goes from the heights downward has the conformation running with him; and so one must not strike upward or meet him head-on.

敵背丘陵爲陳，無有後患，則當引軍平地，勿迎擊之。

If the enemy sets his line with a hill at his back so that he has no care behind him, one ought to draw his troops out onto level ground and must not meet him head-on and strike.

敵若據丘陵，依附險阻，陳兵待敵，勿輕攻趨也。旣地勢不便，有殞石之衝也。

If the enemy settles on a hill and leans upon a steep place, spreading out his troops and waiting, one must not run up and strike lightly. Not only is the conformation of the ground unprofitable, but one may be struck by stones rolling down.

高陵勿向者，敵處其高，不可仰擊。背丘勿逆者，敵自高而來，不可逆戰，勢不便也。

"Do not face a high hill" means that when the enemy is on the heights one cannot look up and strike him; "do not meet head-on an enemy with a hill at his back" means that when the enemy comes down from the heights one cannot meet him head-on and fight, because the conformation is unprofitable.

如此不便，則當嚴陳以待變也。

When it is thus unprofitable, one ought to make the line strict and wait for a change.

秦伐韓，趙王令趙奢救之。秦人聞之，悉甲而至。軍士許歷請以軍事諫，曰︰「秦人不意趙師至此，其來氣盛，將軍必厚集其陳以待之，不然必敗。今先據北山上者勝，後至者敗。」奢從之，卽發萬人趨之。秦兵後至，爭山不得上，奢縱兵擊之，大破秦軍。後周遣將伐高齊，圍洛陽。齊將段韶禦之，登邙坂，聊欲觀周軍形勢。至太和谷，便值周軍，卽遣馳告諸營，與諸將結陳以待之。周軍以步人在前，上山逆戰。韶以彼步我騎，且却且引，得其力弊，乃遣下馬擊之。短兵始交，周人大潰，並卽奔遁。

When Qin struck Han, the king of Zhao had Zhao She go to the rescue. The men of Qin heard of it and came with their armor all made ready. The officer Xu Li (許歷) admonished him on a matter of arms, saying, "The men of Qin did not know that the army of Zhao would come this far, and so the spirit of their coming is flourishing. The general must gather his line thickly and wait; if not, he will surely be beaten. Now whichever side takes the top of the Northern Hill first will win, and whichever comes later will lose." Zhao She followed his words and at once sent out ten thousand men to run there. The army of Qin came later and contended for the hill but could not climb it, and Zhao She loosed his troops and struck and broke the army of Qin utterly. Later Zhou sent a general to strike the lofty Qi (高齊) and ringed Luoyang. Duan Shao (段韶), a general of Qi, meaning to block him, climbed the slope of Mount Mang (邙山) to look for a moment at the conformation of the army of Zhou. Coming to the Taihe Valley (太和谷) he met the army of Zhou at once, and sent men running to tell the several camps and drew up his line with his generals and waited. The army of Zhou put its foot soldiers in front and climbed the hill and met him in battle. Duan Shao, since the other side was on foot and his own men mounted, feigned withdrawal and drew them on, waiting for their strength to be worn out, and then had his men dismount and strike. No sooner had the short weapons closed than the men of Zhou crumbled utterly and all fled.

敵處高爲陳，不可仰攻，人馬之馳逐，弧矢之施發，皆不便也。故諸葛亮曰︰「山陵之戰，不仰其高。」敵從高而來，不可迎之，勢不順也；引至平地，然後合戰。

If the enemy settles on the heights and sets his line there, one cannot look up and strike him, because neither the running of men and horses nor the shooting of bows and arrows is profitable. Therefore Zhuge Liang said, "In fighting among mountains and hills, one does not look up and strike at his high place." If the enemy comes down from the heights one must not meet him head-on, because the conformation does not run with us. One draws him out onto level ground and then closes and fights.

恐有伏兵也。

It is for fear that there may be hidden troops.

敵未衰，忽然奔北，必有奇伏要擊我兵，謹勒將士，勿令逐追。

If the enemy has not yet withered and suddenly flees, there are surely unlooked-for troops in ambush who mean to cut across our army and strike it; so one keeps a careful hand on officers and men and does not let them give chase.

北，奔走也。敵方戰，氣勢未衰，便奔走而陳兵者，必有奇伏，勿深入從之。故太公曰︰「夫出甲陳兵，縱卒亂行者，欲以爲變也。」

Bei (北) is to flee. When the enemy is in the thick of the fight and his spirit has not yet withered, and he suddenly flees while spreading out his troops, there are surely unlooked-for troops in ambush, and one must not go deep in and follow him. So Taigong said, "To bring out armor and spread out troops and then loose the soldiers to break the ranks is to contrive an upset."

梅堯臣同杜牧《註》。

Mei Yaochen's note is the same as Du Mu's note.

勢不至北，必有詐也，則勿逐。

When the conformation is not such that he must flee and yet he flees, there is surely deception, and one must not give chase.

如戰國秦師伐趙，趙奢之子括代廉頗將，拒秦於長平。秦陰使白起爲上將軍。趙出兵擊秦，秦軍佯敗而走，張二奇兵以劫之。趙軍逐勝，追造秦壁，壁堅不得入。而秦奇兵二萬五千人絶趙軍後，又一軍五千騎絶趙壁間。趙軍分而爲二，糧道絶。而秦出輕兵擊之，趙戰不利，因築壁堅守，以待救至。秦聞趙食道絶，王自之河內，發卒遮絶趙救及糧食。趙卒不得食四十六日，陰相殺食。括中射而死。蜀劉表遣劉備北侵至鄴，曹公遣夏侯惇、李典拒之。一朝備燒屯去，惇遣諸將追擊之。典曰︰「賊無故退，疑必有伏。南道窄狹，草木深，不可追也。」不聽。惇等果入賊伏裏。典往救，備見救至，乃退。西魏末，遣將史寧與突厥同伐吐谷渾，遂至樹敦，卽吐谷渾之舊都，多儲珍藏，而其主先已奔賀真城，留其征南王及數千人固守。寧攻之，僞退。吐谷渾人果開門逐之，因回兵奪門，門未及闔，寧兵遂得入，生獲其征南王，俘獲男女財寶，盡歸諸突厥。北齊高澄立，侯景叛歸梁，而圍彭城。澄遣慕容紹宗討之。將戰，紹宗以梁人剽悍，恐其衆之撓也，召將帥而語之曰︰「我當佯退，誘梁人使前，汝可擊其背。」申明誡之。景又命梁人曰︰「逐北勿過二里。」會戰，紹宗走，梁人不用景言，乘敗深入。魏人以紹宗之言爲信，爭掩擊，遂大敗之。唐安禄山反，郭子儀圍衞州，僞鄭王慶緒率兵來援，分爲三軍。子儀陳以待之，預選射者三千人，伏於壁內，誡之曰︰「俟吾小却，賊必爭進，則登城鼓譟，弓弩齊發以逼之。」旣戰，子儀僞退，而賊果乘之。乃開壘門，遽聞鼓譟，矢注如雨，賊徒震駭。整衆追之，遂虜慶緒。

In the time of the Warring States, when the army of Qin struck Zhao, Zhao Kuo, the son of Zhao She, took the place of Lian Po as general and blocked Qin at Changping. Qin secretly made Bai Qi its highest general. Zhao sent out troops and struck Qin, and the army of Qin feigned defeat and fled, setting out two bodies of unlooked-for troops to cut them off. The army of Zhao rode upon the momentum of winning and pursued as far as the ramparts of Qin, but the ramparts were firm and they could not get in. Meanwhile twenty-five thousand unlooked-for troops of Qin cut off the rear of the army of Zhao, and a body of five thousand horse cut the Zhao army apart within its own lines. The army of Zhao was split in two and its road of provisions was cut as well. Qin sent out light troops and struck, and Zhao, having the worse of the fight, raised ramparts and held them firmly, waiting for rescue to come. Hearing that the road of provisions of Zhao was cut, the king of Qin went himself to Henei (河內) and sent out troops to block the rescue and the provisions of Zhao. For forty-six days the army of Zhao had nothing to eat, and in secret they killed and ate one another. Zhao Kuo was struck by an arrow and died. Liu Biao (劉表) of Shu sent Liu Bei to strike northward and come to Ye, and Lord Cao sent Xiahou Dun (夏侯惇) and Li Dian (李典) to block him. One morning Liu Bei burned his camp and departed, and Xiahou Dun sent his generals to give chase and strike. Li Dian said, "The enemy has withdrawn without cause; there are surely troops in ambush. The southern road is narrow and the grass and trees are deep; we must not give chase." He was not heeded. Xiahou Dun and the rest did indeed fall among the enemy's ambush. Li Dian went and rescued them, and Liu Bei, seeing that rescue had come, withdrew. At the end of the Western Wei, the general Shi Ning (史寧) was sent with the Türks to strike the Tuyuhun (吐谷渾), and he came at last to Shudun (樹敦). That place was the old capital of the Tuyuhun, where much treasure was heaped up; but their ruler had already fled to Zhenzhen City (賀眞城), leaving the King Who Quells the South (征南王) and several thousand men to hold it firmly. Shi Ning struck and then feigned withdrawal, and the men of the Tuyuhun did indeed open the gate and give chase. At this he turned his troops and seized the gate; before it could be shut the troops of Shi Ning went in, took the King Who Quells the South captive, and gathered up the men and women and the goods and gave them all to the Türks. When Gao Cheng (高澄) of the Northern Qi was set up, Hou Jing (侯景) turned against him, went back to Liang (梁) and ringed Pengcheng (彭城). Gao Cheng sent Murong Shaozong (慕容紹宗) to strike him. When battle was about to be joined, Murong Shaozong, fearing that his own host might be shaken because the men of Liang were swift and fierce, called his generals and said, "I shall feign withdrawal and lure the men of Liang to come forward; do you strike their backs," and he told them so again. Hou Jing too said to the men of Liang, "In chasing a fleeing enemy do not go beyond two li." When battle was joined Murong Shaozong fled, and the men of Liang did not follow Hou Jing's words but rode upon the momentum of winning and went in deep. The men of Wei trusted Murong Shaozong's words and fell upon them in rivalry and struck, and so won greatly at last. In the Tang, when An Lushan (安禄山) rebelled and Guo Ziyi (郭子儀) ringed Weizhou (衞州), the false Prince of Zheng (鄭王), An Qingxu (安慶緒), led troops to the rescue and divided them in three. Guo Ziyi set his line and waited, having chosen three thousand bowmen beforehand and hidden them within his ramparts, saying, "Wait until I withdraw a little; the enemy will surely press forward in rivalry. Then climb the wall, beat the drums and shout, and loose bows and crossbows all together and drive them back." When battle was joined Guo Ziyi feigned withdrawal, and the enemy did indeed ride upon that momentum. Then the gate of the ramparts was opened, drums and shouting sounded of a sudden and arrows poured down like rain, and the enemy's host was struck with trembling. He put his troops in order and gave chase, and took An Qingxu captive at last.

敵人奔北，必審真僞。若旗鼓齊應，號令如一，紛紛紜紜，雖退走，非敗也，必有奇也，不可從之。若旗靡轍亂，人囂馬駭，此真敗却也。

When the enemy flees one must always examine whether it is true or false. If the banners and drums answer one another evenly and the commands are of one piece, then even though it looks like disorder and even though he withdraws and flees, he is not beaten but surely has some unlooked-for plan, and one must not follow. If the banners fall over and the chariot tracks are jumbled, and the men are noisy and the horses startled, then he is truly beaten.

避彊氣也。

It is to avoid a hard momentum.

避實也。楚子伐隋，隋臣季良曰︰「楚人尚左，君必左，無與王遇。且攻其右，右無良焉，必敗。偏敗，衆乃攜矣。」隋少師曰︰「不當王，非敵也。」不從。隋師敗績。

It is to avoid what is solid. When the viscount of Chu (楚子) struck Sui (隋), Ji Liang (季良), a minister of Sui, said, "The men of Chu honor the left, so their ruler will surely be on the left. Do not stand against the king of Chu, but strike his right. On the right there are no good troops, and it will surely be beaten. When one wing is beaten the host scatters at once." The Lesser Tutor (少師) of Sui said, "Not to stand against the king is to be no match for him," and would not follow him. The army of Sui was utterly beaten.

此說是避敵所長，非「銳卒勿攻」之旨也。蓋言士卒輕銳，且勿攻之，待其懈惰，然後擊之。所謂千里遠鬬，其鋒莫當，蓋近之爾。

These words mean to avoid what the enemy is good at; they are not the meaning of "do not strike keen troops." They say that while his troops are light and keen one should not strike at once, but wait until they grow slack and then strike. What is called coming a thousand li to fight, so that his keenness cannot be withstood, comes near to this.

伺其氣挫。

He watches for that momentum to be broken.

如蜀先主率大衆東伐吳，吳將陸遜拒之。蜀主從建平連圍至夷陵界，立數十屯，以金帛爵賞誘動諸夷。先遣將吳班以數千人於平地立營，欲以挑戰。諸將皆欲擊之，遜曰︰「備舉軍東至，銳氣始盛，且乘高守險，難可卒攻；攻之縱下，猶難盡克，若有不利，損我必大。今但且獎勵將士，廣施方略，以觀其變。」備知其計不行，乃引伏兵八千人從谷中出。遜曰︰「所以不聽諸軍擊班者，揣之必有巧故也。」諸將並曰︰「攻備當在初，今乃令人五六百里相銜持，經七八月，其諸要害，賊已固守，擊之必無利矣。」遜曰︰「備是猾虜，其軍始集，思慮精專，未可干也。今住已久，不得我便，兵疲意沮，計不復生。掎角此宼，正在今日！」乃先攻一營，不利。遜曰︰「吾已曉破之之術。」乃令各持一把茅，以火攻，拔之。備因夜遁。魏末，吳將諸葛恪圍新城，司馬景王使毌丘儉、文欽等拒之。儉、欽請戰，景王曰︰「恪卷甲深入，投兵死地，其鋒未易當；且新城小而固，攻之未可拔。」遂令諸將高壘以弊之。相持數日，恪攻城力屈，死傷大半。景王乃令欽督銳卒趣合榆，斷其歸路。恪懼而遁。前趙劉曜遣將討羌，大酋權渠率衆保險阻，曜將游子遠頻敗之。權渠欲降，其子伊餘大言於衆中曰︰「往年劉曜自來，猶無若我何。」晨，壓子遠壘門。左右勸出戰，子遠曰︰「吾聞伊餘有專諸之勇，慶忌之捷，其父新敗，怒氣甚盛，且西戎勁悍，其鋒不可擬也，不如緩之，使氣竭而擊之。」乃堅壁不戰。伊餘有驕色。子遠候其無備，夜分誓衆，秣馬蓐食，先晨具甲掃壘而出，遲明設覆而戰，生擒伊餘於陳。唐武德中，太宗率師往河東討劉武周，江夏王道宗從軍。太宗登玉壁城覩賊，顧謂道宗曰︰「賊恃其衆，來邀我戰，汝謂如何？」對曰︰「羣賊鋒不可當，易以計屈，難與力爭。令衆深壁高壘，以挫其鋒。烏合之徒，莫能持久，糧運致竭，自當離散，可不戰而擒。」太宗曰︰「汝意見暗與我合。」後賊食盡夜遁，一戰敗之。又，太宗征薛仁杲於折墌城，賊十有餘萬，兵鋒甚銳，數來挑戰。諸將請戰，太宗曰︰「我卒新經挫衂，銳氣猶少；賊驟勝，必輕進好鬬。我且閉壁以折之，待其氣衰而後擊，可一戰而破，此萬全計也。」因令軍中曰︰「敢言戰者斬！」相持久之，賊糧盡，軍中頗攜貳，其將相繼來降。大宗知仁杲心腹內離，謂諸將曰︰「可以戰矣。」令總管梁實營於淺水原以誘之。賊大將宗羅睺自恃驕悍，求戰不得，氣憤者久之，及是盡銳攻梁實，冀逞其志。梁實固險不出，以挫其鋒。羅睺攻之愈急。太宗度賊已疲，復謂諸將曰︰「彼氣將衰，吾當取之必矣。」申令諸將，遲明合戰。令將軍龐玉陳於淺水原南，出賊之右，先餌之。羅睺併軍共戰，玉軍幾敗。太宗親御大軍，奄自原北，出其不意。羅睺回師相拒，我師表裏齊奮，呼聲動天。羅睺氣奪，於是大潰。又，李靖從河間王孝恭討蕭銑，兵至夷陵，銑將文士弘率精卒數萬屯清江。孝恭欲擊之，靖曰︰「士弘，銑之健將，士卒驍勇。今新出荊門，盡兵出戰，此是救敗之師，恐不可當也。宜且泊南岸，勿與爭鋒；待其氣衰，然後奮擊，破之必矣。」孝恭不從，留靖守營，與賊戰。孝恭果敗，奔於南岸。

When the former ruler (先主) of Shu led a great host east to strike Wu, Lu Xun (陸遜), a general of Wu, blocked him. The lord of Shu made a continuous ring from Jianping (建平) to the border of Yiling (夷陵), raising some tens of camps, and moved the several barbarians with gold and silk and office and reward. He first sent his general Wu Ban (吳班) with several thousand men to pitch a camp on level ground and offer battle. The generals all wished to strike, but Lu Xun said, "Liu Bei has come east with his whole army, so his keen momentum is at its height; and he rides the heights and holds the steep places, so that he is hard to strike of a sudden. Even if we struck and won, it would be hard to break him entirely, and if it went against us our own loss would surely be great. For now let us only hearten our officers and men and lay out our reckonings widely, and watch for his changes." Liu Bei, knowing that his plan had not got through, sent out eight thousand men from ambush in the valley. Lu Xun said, "The reason I would not let the several armies strike Wu Ban was that I reckoned there must be some contrivance behind it." The generals all said, "If Liu Bei was to be struck, he should have been struck at the first. Now for five or six hundred li they have locked with us and held for seven or eight months, and the places that matter the enemy already holds firmly; to strike would surely not be profitable." Lu Xun said, "Liu Bei is a crafty enemy. When his army was first gathered his thought was close-knit and of one piece and could not be trespassed on. Now he has stayed long, has got no profit from us, and his troops are worn and his will broken, and no further plan comes out of him. The time to drive upon this enemy before and behind is this very day." So he first struck one camp, and it did not go well. Lu Xun said, "I know now the law for breaking him," and he had each man take a handful of thatch and struck with fire and pulled them up. Liu Bei fled by night. At the end of the Wei, when Zhuge Ke (諸葛恪), a general of Wu, ringed Xincheng (新城), King Jing of Sima sent Wuqiu Jian and Wen Qin and others to block him. Wuqiu Jian and Wen Qin asked leave to fight, but King Jing said, "Zhuge Ke has rolled up his armor and come in deep and thrown his troops onto ground of death, so his keenness cannot easily be withstood; and Xincheng, though small, is firm, and striking will not take it." So he had his generals raise their ramparts high and wear the enemy out. Standing against him for some days, Zhuge Ke spent his strength on striking the walls, and the dead and wounded were more than half. King Jing then had Wen Qin lead swift troops and run to Heyu (合榆) and cut off his way back, and Zhuge Ke grew afraid and fled. Liu Yao (劉曜) of the Former Zhao sent a general to strike the Qiang (羌), and the great chief Quan Qu (權渠) led his host and held a steep place, but Liu Yao's general You Ziyuan broke them one after another. When Quan Qu wished to surrender, his son Yiyu cried out among the host, "Last year Liu Yao came in person and could do nothing against us," and at dawn he pressed upon the gate of You Ziyuan's ramparts. Those about him urged him to go out and fight, but You Ziyuan said, "I have heard that Yiyu has the bravery of Zhuan Zhu and the swiftness of Qing Ji (慶忌), and that his father has just been beaten, so his angry spirit is very high. Moreover the Western Rong are hard and fierce, and their keenness cannot be matched; it is better to slacken and wait for that momentum to be spent, and then strike." So he made his ramparts firm and did not fight. A proud look came into Yiyu's face. You Ziyuan watched for a time when there was no preparation, swore his host in the middle of the night, fed the horses and fed the men at their posts, and at dawn put on his armor first, swept out of the ramparts and went forth, and about daybreak set an ambush and fought and took Yiyu captive in the midst of his line. In the Wude years of the Tang, when Taizong led troops to Hedong to strike Liu Wuzhou (劉武周), the Prince of Jiangxia (江夏王), Li Daozong (李道宗), went with him. Taizong climbed the walls of Yubi (玉壁城) to look at the enemy and, turning to Li Daozong, said, "The enemy trusts in his numbers and has come to offer us battle; what do you think?" He answered, "The keenness of that host cannot be withstood; it is easy to break it with a plan but hard to contend with it by strength. Have the host dig their ramparts deep and raise them high and so break his keenness. A host gathered like a flock of crows cannot hold out long, and when their provisions are spent they will scatter of themselves; they can be taken without fighting." Taizong said, "Your thought quietly matches my own." Afterwards the enemy's food ran out and they fled by night, and he broke them in a single battle. Again, when Taizong struck Xue Rengao at Zhezhi City (折墌城), the enemy were more than a hundred thousand and the keenness of their troops was very high, and they offered battle again and again. The generals asked leave to fight, but Taizong said, "Our troops have just come through a reverse and their keen spirit is still small, while the enemy has won time after time and will surely be eager to come forward and fight lightly. Let us for now shut our ramparts and break that momentum, and when the momentum has withered we shall strike and can break them in one battle; this is a wholly safe reckoning." And he said in the camp, "Whoever dares speak of fighting will be beheaded." When they had stood against each other long, the enemy's provisions ran out and his host was much divided, and his generals came one after another and surrendered. Taizong, knowing that the trusted men of Xue Rengao were divided within, said to his generals, "Now we may fight." He had the commander Liang Shi (梁實) pitch a camp on the Qianshui Plain (淺水原) to lure the enemy. Zong Luohou (宗羅睺), the enemy's great general, trusted in his own fierceness, and having long been galled that he wished to fight and could not, he now spent his keen troops in striking Liang Shi to ease his own will. Liang Shi held a steep place firmly and did not come out, and so broke his keenness. Zong Luohou struck the harder. Taizong, reckoning that the enemy was already worn out, said again to his generals, "Their momentum is about to wither, and I shall surely take them," and he told his generals again to close with them about daybreak. He had the general Pang Yu (龐玉) set a line south of the Qianshui Plain, go out on the enemy's right and lay the bait first. Zong Luohou joined his troops and fought him together, and the troops of Pang Yu came near to being beaten. Taizong led the great army himself and advanced of a sudden from the north of the plain, thrusting where he was not looked for. Zong Luohou turned his troops to meet him, and our troops rose up together within and without, and the shouting shook the sky. Zong Luohou was robbed of his momentum and so crumbled utterly. Again, when Li Jing followed the Prince of Hejian, Li Xiaogong (李孝恭), to strike Xiao Xian (蕭銑), and the army reached Yiling, Wen Shihong (文士弘), a general of Xiao Xian, held Qingjiang (淸江) with some tens of thousands of swift troops. Li Xiaogong wished to strike, but Li Jing said, "Wen Shihong is Xiao Xian's hard general and his troops are swift and fierce. He has only now come out of Jingmen (荊門) and has spent his whole force to come out and fight; these are troops meaning to turn back a defeat, and I fear they will be hard to withstand. We ought to stay on the southern bank and not contend in keenness, and when their momentum has withered, to rouse ourselves and strike; then we shall surely break them." Li Xiaogong would not hear him, left Li Jing to guard the camp and fought the enemy. Li Xiaogong was indeed beaten and fled to the southern bank.

敵若乘銳而來，其鋒不可當，宜少避之，以伺疲挫。晉楚相持，楚晨壓晉軍而陳，軍吏患之。欒書曰︰「楚師輕窕，固壘以待之，三日必退，退而擊之，必獲勝焉。」又，唐太宗征薛仁杲，賊兵鋒甚銳，數來挑戰。諸將咸請戰，太宗曰︰「當且閉壘以折之，待其氣衰，可一戰而破也。」果然。

When the enemy comes riding upon his keenness, that keenness cannot be withstood, and one ought to avoid him a little and watch for him to be worn out and broken. When Jin and Chu stood against each other and Chu at dawn pressed upon the army of Jin and set its line, the officers of the army were troubled. Luan Shu (欒書) said, "The troops of Chu are light and flighty; if we make our ramparts firm and wait, they will surely withdraw within three days. Strike them as they withdraw, and we shall surely win." Again, when Taizong of the Tang struck Xue Rengao, the enemy's troops were very keen and offered battle again and again. The generals all asked leave to fight, but Taizong said, "We ought for now to shut our ramparts and break his keenness, and when his momentum has withered we can break him in a single battle." And so it proved.

秦人毒涇上流。

The men of Qin put poison in the upper course of the Jing (涇水).

敵忽棄飲食而去，先須嘗試，不可便食，慮毒也。後魏文帝時，庫莫奚侵擾，詔濟陰王新成率衆討之。王乃多爲毒酒；賊旣漸逼，使棄營而去。賊至，喜，競飲，酒酣毒作。王簡輕騎縱擊，俘虜萬計。

If the enemy suddenly leaves his food and drink behind and departs, one must taste it first and must not eat it at once, for fear of poison. In the time of Emperor Wen of the Later Wei, when the Kumoxi (庫莫奚) raided and made trouble, the Prince of Jiyin (濟陰王), Yuan Xincheng (元新成), was sent with a host to strike them. The prince made ready a great deal of wine mixed with poison, and when the enemy came gradually nearer he left his camp and departed. The enemy came and were glad and drank it in rivalry, and when they were far gone in drink the poison worked. The prince chose light horsemen and struck them as he pleased, and those he took captive were counted in tens of thousands.

此之獲勝，蓋亦偶然，固非爲將之道，垂後世法也。孫子豈以他人不能致毒於人腹中哉？此言喻魚若見餌，不可食也。敵若懸利，不可貪也。曹公與袁紹將文醜等戰，諸將以爲敵騎多，不如還營，荀攸曰︰「此所以餌敵也，安可去之？」卽知餌兵非止謂置毒也。「食」字疑或爲「貪」字也。

To win in this way is something that came about by chance; it is not the proper way of being a general, and it is not fit to be handed down as a law to later ages. How should Sunzi have thought that others could not put poison into another's belly? These words are a figure, that though the fish sees the bait it must not eat it. Though the enemy hangs out profit, one must not covet it. When Lord Cao was fighting Wen Chou (文醜) and the other generals of Yuan Shao, the generals said that since the enemy's horsemen were many it would be better to go back to camp, but Xun You said, "This is a bait to lure the enemy; how should we leave it and go?" From this one knows that the words do not point only to bait troops laying poison. The character "eat" (食) is perhaps the character "covet" (貪).

魚貪餌而亡，兵貪餌而敗。敵以兵來釣我，我不可從。

The fish dies of coveting the bait, and an army is beaten by coveting the bait. Though the enemy means to hook us with troops, we must not follow.

餌我以利，必有奇伏。

If he lures us with profit there are surely troops in ambush, unlooked for.

如春秋時，楚伐絞，軍其南門。莫敖屈瑕曰︰「絞小而輕，輕則寡謀。請無扞采樵者以誘之。」從之。絞人獲三十人。明日，絞人爭出，驅楚役徒於山中。楚人坐其北門，而覆諸山下，大敗之，爲城下之盟而還。又如，赤眉佯敗，棄輜重走，車載土，以豆覆其上，鄧弘取之，爲赤眉所敗。曹公未得濟而放牛馬，馬超取之，而公得渡。又如，曹公棄輜重，文醜、劉備分取之，而爲公所破。又如，後魏廣陽王元深以乜列河誘拔陵，竟來抄掠，拔陵爲于謹伏兵所破。此皆餌之之術也。

In the Spring and Autumn time Chu struck Jiao (絞) and set its line at its southern gate. Mo'ao (莫敖) Qu Xia (屈瑕) said, "Jiao is small and light, and being light it has few plans. Leave our woodcutters unguarded and so lure the enemy," and his words were followed. The men of Jiao seized thirty men. The next day the men of Jiao came out in rivalry and drove the Chu laborers into the hills. The men of Chu took their place at the northern gate and hid an ambush at the foot of the hills and broke them utterly, and Jiao swore beneath its own walls and Chu went home. Again, the Red Eyebrows feigned defeat and fled, leaving their baggage carts behind, but the carts were loaded with earth and covered over with beans. Deng Hong (鄧弘) tried to take them and was beaten by the Red Eyebrows. When Lord Cao had not yet crossed the water he loosed his oxen and horses, and while Ma Chao was taking them Lord Cao was able to cross. Again, when Lord Cao left his baggage carts behind, Wen Chou and Liu Bei divided them and were broken by Lord Cao. Again, the Prince of Guangyang of the Later Wei, Yuan Shen (元深), lured Baling (拔陵) with Mieliehe (乜列河), and Baling came at last to plunder and was broken by the ambush of Yu Jin (于謹). All of these are the law of luring with bait.

《三略》曰︰「香餌之下，必有懸魚。」言魚貪餌，則爲釣者所得；兵貪利，則爲敵人所敗。夫餌兵，非止謂置毒於飲食，但以利留敵，皆爲餌也。若曹公以畜產餌馬超，以輜重餌袁紹；李矩以牛馬餌石勒之類，皆是也。

The *Three Strategies* says, "Beneath a fragrant bait there is surely a hooked fish." This says that when a fish covets the bait it is taken by the angler, and when an army covets profit it is beaten by the enemy. Bait troops do not point only to putting poison in food and drink; whatever holds the enemy with profit is bait. Lord Cao luring Ma Chao with his herds and luring Yuan Shao with his baggage carts, and Li Ju (李矩) luring Shi Le (石勒) with oxen and horses, and the like, are all this.

士卒思歸，志不可遏也。

When soldiers think of going home, their will cannot be blocked.

曹公自征張繡於穰，劉表遣兵救繡，以絶軍後。公將引還，繡兵來追，公軍不得進。表與繡復合兵守險，公軍前後受敵。公乃夜鑿險爲地道，悉過輜重，設奇兵。會明，賊謂公爲遁也，悉軍來追。乃縱奇兵，步騎夾攻，大破之。公謂荀文若曰︰「虜遏吾歸師，而與吾死地，吾是以知勝矣。」

When Lord Cao went himself to strike Zhang Xiu (張繡) at Rang (穰), Liu Biao sent troops to rescue Zhang Xiu and cut off the rear of Lord Cao's army. When Lord Cao meant to turn his troops back, Zhang Xiu's troops came in pursuit so that Lord Cao's army could not advance. Liu Biao and Zhang Xiu joined their troops again and held a steep place, so that Lord Cao's army met the enemy before and behind. Lord Cao then broke through the steep place by night and made a tunnel, sent all his baggage carts ahead and hid troops there, unlooked for. When day broke, the enemy thought Lord Cao had fled and sent out all their troops in pursuit. At this he loosed the hidden troops, and foot and horse took them on both flanks and broke them utterly. Lord Cao said to Xun Wenruo (荀文若), "The enemy blocked my homeward army and put me on ground of death; that is how I knew I would win."

人懷歸心，必能死戰，則不可止而擊也。

When every man holds a heart set on going home, they will surely fight to the death, and one must not stand in their way and strike.

若窮宼遠還，依險而行，人人懷歸，敢能死戰，徐觀其變，而勿遠遏截之。

If an enemy at bay goes far round and follows the steep places, every man holds a heart set on going home and means to fight to the death; so one watches his changes slowly and must not chase him far and bar his way.

敵必死戰。

The enemy will surely fight to the death.

人自爲戰也，勿遏塞之。若猶有他慮，則可要而擊。曹公攻鄴，袁尚來救。諸將以爲歸師，不如避之。公曰︰「尚從大道來，則避之；若循西山來者，此成擒耳。」蓋大道來則歸意全，循山來則顧負險，且有懼心也。

Every man will fight even on his own, and one must not stand in their way. Yet if the enemy has some other care, one may block the pass and strike. When Lord Cao struck Ye, Yuan Shang came to the rescue. The generals said that since this was a homeward army it would be better to avoid it. Lord Cao said, "If Yuan Shang comes by the high road, avoid him; if he comes along the Western Hills, he will simply be taken." Coming by the high road, his will to go home is whole; coming along the hills, he means to trust and lean upon the steep places, and so he has a fearful heart as well.

如魏初曹操圍張繡於穰，劉表遣兵救繡，以絶軍後。公將引還，繡兵來追，公軍不得進，連營稍前到安衆。繡與表合兵守險，公軍前後受敵。公乃夜鑿險爲地道，悉過輜重，設奇兵。會明，賊謂公爲遁也，悉軍來追。乃縱奇兵，步騎夾攻，大破之。公謂荀彧曰︰「虜遏吾歸師，與吾死地，是以知勝。」齊建武二年，魏圍鍾離，張欣泰爲軍主，隨崔慧景救援。及魏軍退，而邵陽洲上餘兵萬人，求輸馬五百匹假道。慧景欲斷路攻之，欣泰說慧景曰︰「歸師勿遏，古人畏之。兵在死地，不可輕也。」慧景乃聽過也。前秦苻堅征晉，至壽春，兵敗還長安。慕容泓起兵於華澤，堅將苻叡、竇衝、姚萇討之。苻叡勇果輕敵，不恤士衆。泓聞其至也，懼，率衆將奔關東。叡馳兵邀之。姚萇諫曰︰「鮮卑有思歸之心，宜驅令出關，不可遏也。」叡弗從。戰於華澤，叡敗績被殺。後涼呂弘攻段業於張掖，不勝，將東走。業議欲擊之，其將沮渠蒙遜諫曰︰「歸師勿遏，窮宼勿追，此兵家之戒；不如縱之，以爲後圖。」業曰︰「一日縱敵，悔將無及。」遂率衆追之，爲弘所敗。

At the beginning of the Wei, when Cao Cao ringed Zhang Xiu at Rang, Liu Biao sent troops to rescue Zhang Xiu and cut off the rear of Cao Cao's army. When Lord Cao meant to turn his troops back, Zhang Xiu's troops came in pursuit so that he could not advance, and he linked his camps and went forward little by little until he came to Anzhong (安衆). Zhang Xiu and Liu Biao joined their troops and held a steep place, so that Lord Cao's army met the enemy before and behind. Lord Cao then broke through the steep place by night and made a tunnel, sent all his baggage carts ahead and hid troops there, unlooked for. When day broke, the enemy thought Lord Cao had fled and sent out all their troops in pursuit. At this he loosed the hidden troops, and foot and horse took them on both flanks and broke them utterly. Lord Cao said to Xun Yu (荀彧), "The enemy blocked my homeward army and put me on ground of death; that is how I knew I would win." In the second year of Jianwu of Qi, when Wei ringed Zhongli (鍾離), Zhang Xintai (張欣泰) was a troop commander (軍主) and went with Cui Huijing (崔慧景) to the rescue. As the army of Wei withdrew, the ten thousand men left on Shaoyang Isle (邵陽洲) offered five hundred horses and asked to borrow a road. Cui Huijing wished to cut off their road and strike, but Zhang Xintai coaxed him, saying, "That a homeward army is not to be blocked is what the men of old feared. These troops are on ground of death and must not be made light of." Cui Huijing then let them pass. When Fu Jian (苻堅) of the Former Qin struck Jin and came to Shouchun (壽春), he was beaten in battle and went back to Chang'an. Murong Hong (慕容泓) raised troops at Huaze (華澤), and Fu Jian's generals Fu Rui (苻叡), Dou Chong (竇衝) and Yao Chang (姚萇) struck him. Fu Rui was swift and bold but made light of the enemy and did not spare his troops. Hearing that he was coming, Murong Hong was afraid and meant to lead his host away east of the pass. Fu Rui wished to hurry his troops and bar the pass, but Yao Chang held him back, saying, "The Xianbei (鮮卑) have a heart set on going home; we ought to drive them out beyond the pass and must not block them." Fu Rui would not hear him. They fought at Huaze, and Fu Rui was utterly beaten and died. Lü Hong (呂弘) of the Later Liang (後涼) struck Duan Ye (段業) at Zhangye (張掖), and failing to beat him meant to flee eastward. Duan Ye took counsel to strike him, but his general Juqu Mengxun (沮渠蒙遜) held him back, saying, "That a homeward army is not to be blocked and an enemy at bay is not to be chased is a warning of the school of war. It is better to let him go and plot against him another day." Duan Ye said, "Let the enemy go for a single day and you will repent and not overtake it," and he led his host in pursuit at last and was beaten by Lü Hong.

兵之在外，人人思歸，當路邀之，必致死戰。韓信曰︰「從思東歸之士，何所不克？」曹公旣破劉表，謂荀彧曰︰「虜遏吾歸師，吾是以知勝。」又，呂弘攻段業，不勝，將東走。業欲擊之，或諫曰︰「歸師勿遏，兵家之戒；不如縱之，以爲後圖。」業不從，率衆追之，爲弘所敗。古人似此者多，不可悉陳。

When an army is in the field every man thinks of going home, and if one blocks the road and cuts it off, one surely makes them fight to the death. Han Xin said, "Command troops whose thought is set on going home eastward, and what will you not beat?" When Lord Cao had broken Liu Biao he said to Xun Yu, "The enemy blocked my homeward army; that is how I knew I would win." Again, Lü Hong struck Duan Ye, and failing to beat him meant to flee eastward. When Duan Ye wished to strike him, someone held him back, saying, "That a homeward army is not to be blocked is a warning of the school of war; it is better to let him go and plot against him another day." Duan Ye would not hear him and led his host in pursuit and was beaten by Lü Hong. Among the men of old there are many such cases, more than can all be written down.

《司馬法》曰︰「圍其三面，闕其一面，所以示生路也。」

The Sima fa (司馬法) says, "To surround three sides and leave one side open is to show them a road to life."

夫圍敵，必空其一面，示不固也；若四面圍之，敵必堅守不拔也。項羽坑外黃，魏武圍壺關，卽其義也。

Whenever one rings the enemy about, one must leave one face empty and so show that one is not blocking him firmly. If all four faces are ringed about, the enemy will surely hold firmly and cannot be pulled up. Xiang Yu's (項羽) burying men in a pit at Waihuang (外黃) and Emperor Wu of Wei's ringing of Huguan (壺關) are just this meaning.

示以生路，令無必死之心，因而擊之。後漢妖巫維汜弟子單臣、傅鎮等，相聚入原武城，劫掠吏人，自稱將軍。光武遣臧宮將北軍數千人圍之。賊食多，數攻不下，士卒死傷。帝召公卿諸侯王問方略，明帝時爲東海王，對曰︰「妖巫相劫，勢無久立，其中必有悔者；但外圍急，不得走耳。小挺緩，令得逃亡，則一亭長足以擒矣。」帝卽勑令開圍緩守，賊衆分散，遂斬臣、鎮等。大唐天寶末，李光弼領朔方軍與史思明戰於土門。賊衆退散，四面圍合。光弼令開東南角以縱之。賊見開圍，棄甲急走，因追擊之，盡殲其衆。是開一面也。

It is to show a road of life, so as to take away the mind that is set on dying, and then to strike. In the Later Han, the disciples of the sorcerer Wei Si (維汜), Shan Chen (單臣) and Fu Zhen (傅鎭) and others, gathered together and went into the city of Yuanwu (原武城), plundered the officials and the people and called themselves generals. Emperor Guangwu had Zang Gong (臧宮) lead several thousand of the northern army and ring them about. The enemy had much food, and though struck again and again the place did not fall, and only his own troops were killed and wounded. The emperor called his ministers and the princes and asked for a plan, and Emperor Ming, who was then the Prince of Donghai (東海王), answered, "The sorcerers are pressing one another with threats, and by the conformation of it they cannot hold out long; among them there will surely be those who repent. It is only that the ring outside is pressing so that they cannot get away. Slacken it a little so that they can get away, and a single village head (亭長) will be enough to take them." The emperor thereupon ordered the ring opened and the watch slackened, and the enemy's host scattered, and Shan Chen and Fu Zhen and the others were beheaded at last. At the end of Tianbao in the Tang, Li Guangbi commanded the Shuofang army and fought Shi Siming at Tumen (土門). When the enemy's host withdrew and scattered, they were ringed about and blocked on all four sides, but Li Guangbi had the southeastern corner opened and let them go. Seeing that the ring was open, the enemy threw away their armor and fled in haste, and he gave chase and struck and killed their whole host. This is leaving one face open.

若圍敵平陸之地，必空一面，以示其虛，欲使戰守不固，而有去留之心。若敵臨危據險，彊救在表，當堅固守之，未必闕也。此用兵之法。

If one rings the enemy about on level ground, one must leave one face empty and show a gap, so that his fighting and holding are not firm and a heart divided between going and staying arises in him. If the enemy comes to a perilous place and holds the steep ground and has strong rescue outside, one ought to hold him firmly and does not always leave a face empty. This is the law of using troops.

梅堯臣同曹操《註》。

Mei Yaochen's note is the same as Cao Cao's note.

如後漢初，張步據齊地，漢將耿弇總兵討之。步使其大將費邑軍歷下，又分守祝阿、鍾城。弇先擊祝阿，自晨攻城，未日中而拔。故開圍一角，令其衆得奔歸鍾城。鍾城人聞祝阿已潰，大恐懼，遂空壁亡去。又，朱儁與徐璆共討黃巾餘賊，韓忠據宛乞降，不許。因急攻之，連城不克。儁登山覩之，顧謂張超曰︰「吾知之矣。賊今外圍周固，內營急逼，乞降不受，欲出不得，所以死戰也。萬人一心，猶不可當，況十萬乎？其害甚矣。今不如徹圍，并兵入城。忠見圍解，則勢必自出；出則意散，易破之道也。」旣而解圍，忠果出戰，儁因破之。又，魏太祖圍壺關，下令曰︰「城拔，皆坑之！」連月不下。曹仁曰︰「圍城，必示之活門，所以開其生路也。今公告之必死，將人自爲守；且城固而糧多，攻之則士卒傷，守之則日久。今頓兵堅城之下，攻必死之虜，非良計也。」太祖從之，開城遂降。又，後魏末，齊神武起義兵於河北，尒朱兆、天光、度律、仲遠等四將同會鄴南，士馬精彊，號二十萬，圍神武於南陵山。是時，神武馬二千，步卒不滿三萬人。兆等設圍不合，神武連繫牛驢，自塞歸道。於是，將士死戰，四面奮擊，大破兆等。

At the beginning of the Later Han, when Zhang Bu (張步) held the land of Qi, Geng Yan (耿弇), a general of Han, led troops and struck him. Zhang Bu set his great general Fei Yi (費邑) at Lixia (歷下) and also divided his men to hold Zhu'e (祝阿) and Zhongcheng (鍾城). Geng Yan struck Zhu'e first, striking the walls from dawn, and took it before midday. He purposely opened one corner of the ring so that their host might flee back to Zhongcheng. When the men of Zhongcheng heard that Zhu'e had already fallen they were greatly afraid, and in the end they emptied the city and fled. Again, when Zhu Jun (朱儁) struck the remnant of the Yellow Turbans together with Xu Qiu (徐璆), Han Zhong (韓忠) held Wan (宛) and begged to surrender, but he would not allow it and struck in haste; and though he struck the walls again and again he could not win. Zhu Jun climbed a hill and looked out, and turning to Zhang Chao (張超) said, "I see it now. The enemy's ring outside is drawn firm and his camps within are pressed close together; he begs to surrender and is not accepted, and he wishes to come out and cannot, and that is why he fights to the death. Ten thousand men of one heart cannot be withstood, how much less a hundred thousand! The harm of it is grave. It is better now to draw off the ring, join our troops and go in upon the city. When Han Zhong sees that the ring is loosed, by the conformation of it he will surely come out of himself; and coming out, his will is scattered, and that is the easy road to breaking him." Presently he loosed the ring, and Han Zhong did indeed come out and fight, and Zhu Jun thereby broke him. Again, when Taizu of Wei ringed Huguan he gave the order, "When the city is taken, bury them all in a pit"; and for months on end it did not fall. Cao Ren (曹仁) said, "In ringing a city one must always show a gate of life, so as to open a road of life for them. Now that my lord has told them they must surely die, every man will hold the place for his own sake. Moreover the city is firm and its provisions many; to strike will wound our troops, and to hold will take many days. To halt troops beneath a firm wall and strike an enemy who must surely die is no good plan." Taizu followed his words and opened it, and the city surrendered at last. Again, at the end of the Later Wei, when Emperor Shenwu (神武帝) of Qi raised a righteous army in Hebei, the four generals Erzhu Zhao (尒朱兆), Erzhu Tianguang (尒朱天光), Erzhu Dulü (尒朱度律) and Erzhu Zhongyuan (尒朱仲遠) gathered together south of Ye; their men and horses were swift and hard and were called two hundred thousand, and they ringed Emperor Shenwu about at Mount Nanling (南陵山). At that time Emperor Shenwu's horse were two thousand and his foot not thirty thousand. Since Erzhu Zhao and the others ringed him but did not block every side, Emperor Shenwu tied oxen and donkeys together in a line and blocked his own way back. At this his officers and men fought to the death and rose up and struck on all four sides, and they broke Erzhu Zhao and the others utterly.

圍其三面，開其一角，示以生路，使不堅戰。後漢朱儁討賊帥韓忠於宛，急攻不克，因謂軍吏曰︰「賊今外圍周固，所以死戰；若我解圍，勢必自出，出則意散，易破之道也。」果如其言。又，曹公圍壺關，謂之曰︰「城破，皆坑之！」連攻不下。曹仁謂公曰︰「夫圍城，必示之活門，所以開其生路也。今公許之必死，令人自守，非計也。」公從之，遂拔其城是也。

One rings three faces and opens one corner, showing a road of life so that they cannot fight firmly. When Zhu Jun of the Later Han struck the enemy chief Han Zhong at Wan and struck in haste and could not win, he said to the officers of the army, "The enemy's ring outside is now drawn firm, and so he fights to the death. If we loose the ring, by the conformation of it he will surely come out of himself; and coming out, his will is scattered, and that is the easy road to breaking him." And it proved as he said. Again, when Lord Cao ringed Huguan he said, "When the city is broken, bury them all in a pit," and he struck again and again but it did not fall. Cao Ren said to Lord Cao, "In ringing a city one must always show a gate of life, so as to open a road of life for them. Now that my lord has said they must surely die, it makes every man hold the place for his own sake, and it is no good plan." Lord Cao followed his words and took that city at last. This is it.

春秋時，吳伐楚，楚師敗走，及清發，闔閭復將擊之。夫槩王曰︰「困獸猶鬬，況人乎？若知不免而致死，必敗我。若使半濟，而後可擊也。」從之，又敗之。漢宣帝時，趙充國討先零羌。羌覩大軍，棄輜重，欲渡湟水，道阨狹，充國徐行驅之。或曰︰「逐利行遲。」充國曰︰「窮宼也，不可迫。緩之則走不顧，急之則還致死。」諸將曰︰「善。」虜果赴水，溺死者數萬，於是大破之也。

In the Spring and Autumn time, when Wu struck Chu, the army of Chu was beaten and fled and came to the Qingfa (淸發). Helü (闔閭) wished to strike again, but Fugai Wang (夫槩王) said, "A beast at bay still fights, how much more a man. If they know they cannot get away and set themselves to die, they will surely break us. It is better to let them half cross and then strike." He followed these words and broke them again. In the time of Emperor Xuan of Han, Zhao Chongguo (趙充國) struck the Xianling Qiang (先零羌). Seeing the great army, the Qiang left their baggage carts and meant to cross the Huang (湟水), but the road was narrow. Zhao Chongguo went slowly and drove them on. Someone said, "We are after profit, yet our going is slow." Zhao Chongguo said, "These are an enemy at bay, and they must not be pressed. Slacken, and they flee without looking back; press them, and they turn and set themselves to die." The generals said, "That is right." The enemy did indeed leap into the water, and those who drowned were tens of thousands, and so he broke them utterly.

鳥窮則搏，獸窮則噬也。

A bird at bay will peck, and a beast at bay will bite.

困獸猶鬬，物理然也。

A beast at bay still fights; the principle of things is so.

前燕呂護據野王，陰通晉。事覺，燕將慕容恪等率衆討之。將軍傅顔言之恪曰︰「護窮宼假合，王師旣臨，則上下喪氣。殿下前以廣固天險，守易攻難，故爲長久之策；今賊形不與往同，宜急攻之，以省千金之費。」恪曰︰「護，老賊，經變多矣；觀其爲備之道，則未易卒圖也。今圍之於窮城，樵採路絶，內無蓄積，外無彊援，不過於十旬，弊之必矣，何必殘士卒之命，而趨一時之利哉！此謂兵不血刃，而坐以制勝也。」遂列長圍守之。凡經六月，而野王潰，護南奔於晉，悉降其衆。五代晉將符彦卿、杜重威經略北鄙，遇虜於陽城。戎人十萬，圍晉師於中野，乏水，軍人鑿井，取泥衣絞而吮之，人馬渴死甚衆。彦卿曰︰「與其束手就擒，曷若以身徇國？我今窮蹙！」乃率勁騎出擊之。會大風揚塵，乘勢決戰，戎人大潰。此彦卿爲虜十萬所圍，乃窮蹙之宼，遂致死力以求生；戎人不悟之，致敗也。

Lü Hu (呂護) of the Former Yan (前燕) held Yewang (野王) and secretly had dealings with Jin. When the thing came out, Murong Ke and the other generals of Yan led their host and struck him. The general Fu Yan (傅顔) said to Murong Ke, "Lü Hu is an enemy at bay, gathered together for the moment; when the king's army arrives, high and low alike will lose their spirit. Before now Your Highness used the plan of drawing things out, because Guanggu (廣固) was a steep place made by Heaven, easy to hold and hard to strike. Now the enemy's conformation is not what it was then; you ought to strike in haste and spare the cost of a thousand pieces of gold." Murong Ke said, "Lü Hu is an old enemy who has come through many upsets. Look at the manner of his preparation, and he cannot easily be dealt with of a sudden. Now he is shut up in a city at bay, his way to firewood cut, with nothing stored within and no strong rescue without; he will surely be worn out before a hundred days are past. Why should I harm the lives of my soldiers and run after the profit of a moment? This is what is called sitting and winning without staining the blade with blood." So he drew a long ring about it and held it. Six months passed and Yewang crumbled, and Lü Hu fled south to Jin and his host all surrendered. In the time of the Five Dynasties, when Fu Yanqing (符彦卿) and Du Zhongwei (杜重威), generals of Jin, were governing the northern frontier, they met the barbarians at Yangcheng (陽城). A hundred thousand barbarians ringed the army of Jin in the midst of the plain, and water ran short, so that the soldiers dug wells and took up the mud and wrapped it in their clothes and squeezed and sucked it, and very many men and horses died of thirst. Fu Yanqing said, "Rather than fold my hands and be taken, why should I not give my body to the state? I am now driven to the last ditch," and he led swift horsemen out and struck. Just then a great wind blew and the dust flew, and riding upon that momentum he strove in battle, and the barbarians crumbled utterly. Here Fu Yanqing, ringed about by a hundred thousand barbarians, became an enemy driven to the last ditch and spent his dying strength to find a road of life; and the barbarians were beaten because they did not see it.

敵若焚舟破釜，來決一戰，則不可逼迫，蓋獸窮則搏也。晉師敗齊於鞌，齊侯請盟，晉人不許。齊侯曰︰「請收合餘燼，背城借一。」晉人懼而與之盟。吳夫槩王謂「困獸猶鬬」，漢趙充國言「緩之則走不顧，急之則還致死」，蓋亦近之。

If the enemy has burned his boats and broken his cauldrons and come meaning to settle it in a single battle, he must not be pressed, for a beast at bay too will set upon one. When the army of Jin broke Qi at An (鞌), the ruler of Qi asked for an oath, but the men of Jin would not allow it. The ruler of Qi said, "I ask leave to gather up the embers that are left and, with my city at my back, to strive once," and the men of Jin were afraid and swore the oath. Fugai Wang of Wu saying "a beast at bay still fights," and Zhao Chongguo of Han saying "slacken, and they flee without looking back; press them, and they turn and set themselves to die," come near to this as well.