Fighting a War

1. Sun Tzŭ said: In the operations of war, where there are in the field a thousand swift chariots, as many heavy chariots, and a hundred thousand mail-clad soldiers, with provisions enough to carry them a thousand li, the expenditure at home and at the front, including entertainment of guests, small items such as glue and paint, and sums spent on chariots and armour, will reach the total of a thousand ounces of silver per day. Such is the cost of raising an army of 100,000 men.

1. Sun Tzu said: Consider a military campaign with a thousand swift chariots, as many heavy chariots, and a hundred thousand soldiers wearing armor. The army has enough provisions to travel a thousand li (a Chinese unit of distance, roughly a quarter to a third of a mile). Under these conditions, expenses at home and at the front will reach a thousand ounces of silver per day. These expenses include entertaining guests, small items such as glue and paint, and spending on chariots and armor. Such is the cost of raising an army of 100,000 men.

2. When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, the men’s weapons will grow dull and their ardour will be damped. If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength.

2. When you fight, if victory takes too long, your soldiers’ weapons will grow dull and their enthusiasm will fade. If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength.

3. Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain.

3. Again, if the campaign drags on, the state's resources will not be enough to bear the strain.

4. Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardour damped, your strength exhausted and your treasure spent, other chieftains will spring up to take advantage of your extremity. Then no man, however wise, will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue.

4. Now, when your weapons are dull, your enthusiasm fades, your strength is exhausted, and your money is gone, other leaders will rise to take advantage of your desperate situation. Then no one, however wise, will be able to prevent the consequences that must follow.

5. Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.

5. So, although we have heard of foolish haste in war, long delays have never shown cleverness.

6. There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.

6. No country has ever benefited from a prolonged war.

7. It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.

7. Only someone who fully understands the harms of war can fully understand how to wage war profitably.

8. The skilful soldier does not raise a second levy, neither are his supply-waggons loaded more than twice.

8. A skilled soldier does not call up troops a second time. Nor are his supply wagons loaded more than twice.

9. Bring war material with you from home, but forage on the enemy. Thus the army will have food enough for its needs.

9. Bring military supplies from home, but gather food from enemy territory. This way, the army will have enough food to meet its needs.

10. Poverty of the State exchequer causes an army to be maintained by contributions from a distance. Contributing to maintain an army at a distance causes the people to be impoverished.

10. An empty state treasury forces an army to rely on supplies sent from far away. Sending supplies to support an army far away impoverishes the people.

11. On the other hand, the proximity of an army causes prices to go up; and high prices cause the people’s substance to be drained away.

11. On the other hand, having an army nearby drives up prices. These high prices drain the people’s wealth.

12. When their substance is drained away, the peasantry will be afflicted by heavy exactions.

12. When their wealth is drained away, the peasants will be burdened with heavy taxes.

13, 14. With this loss of substance and exhaustion of strength, the homes of the people will be stripped bare, and three-tenths of their incomes will be dissipated; while Government expenses for broken chariots, worn-out horses, breast-plates and helmets, bows and arrows, spears and shields, protective mantlets, draught-oxen and heavy waggons, will amount to four-tenths of its total revenue.

13, 14. With resources depleted and strength exhausted, the people's homes will be stripped bare. Three-tenths of their income will be lost. Meanwhile, government expenses will include broken chariots, worn-out horses, breastplates and helmets, bows and arrows, spears and shields. These expenses will also include protective screens, oxen for pulling loads, and heavy wagons. Together, these government expenses will consume four-tenths of the government's total revenue.

15. Hence a wise general makes a point of foraging on the enemy. One cartload of the enemy’s provisions is equivalent to twenty of one’s own, and likewise a single picul of his provender is equivalent to twenty from one’s own store.

15. So a wise general makes a point of taking supplies from the enemy. One cartload of the enemy’s provisions is worth twenty cartloads of your own. Likewise, one picul of the enemy’s animal feed is worth twenty piculs from your own stores.

16. Now in order to kill the enemy, our men must be roused to anger; that there may be advantage from defeating the enemy, they must have their rewards.

16. To kill the enemy, our men must be stirred to anger. To benefit from defeating the enemy, our men must receive rewards.

17. Therefore in chariot fighting, when ten or more chariots have been taken, those should be rewarded who took the first. Our own flags should be substituted for those of the enemy, and the chariots mingled and used in conjunction with ours. The captured soldiers should be kindly treated and kept.

17. Therefore, in chariot warfare, when ten or more chariots are captured, reward those who captured the first ones. Replace the enemy’s flags with our own. Add the captured chariots to our forces and use them alongside our own chariots. Treat captured soldiers kindly and keep them.

18. This is called, using the conquered foe to augment one’s own strength.

18. This is called using the defeated enemy to increase your own strength.

19. In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.

19. In war, then, make victory your main goal, not long campaigns.

20. Thus it may be known that the leader of armies is the arbiter of the people’s fate, the man on whom it depends whether the nation shall be in peace or in peril.

20. So we can see that the army’s leader determines the people’s fate. Whether the nation is at peace or in danger depends on him.