Weak and Strong Points

1. Sun Tzŭ said: Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle, will arrive exhausted.

1. Sun Tzu said: Whoever reaches the battlefield first and waits for the enemy will be fresh for the fight. Whoever arrives second and must rush into battle will arrive exhausted.

2. Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy’s will to be imposed on him.

2. So the skilled fighter makes the enemy follow his will. But he does not let the enemy force him to follow theirs.

3. By holding out advantages to him, he can cause the enemy to approach of his own accord; or, by inflicting damage, he can make it impossible for the enemy to draw near.

3. By offering advantages, he can draw the enemy closer willingly. Or, by causing harm, he can make it impossible for the enemy to come near.

4. If the enemy is taking his ease, he can harass him; if well supplied with food, he can starve him out; if quietly encamped, he can force him to move.

4. If the enemy is resting, he can harass him. If the enemy has plenty of food, he can starve him out. If the enemy is camped quietly, he can force him to move.

5. Appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend; march swiftly to places where you are not expected.

5. Appear at points the enemy must rush to defend. March quickly to places where you are not expected.

6. An army may march great distances without distress, if it marches through country where the enemy is not.

6. An army may march long distances without hardship if it travels through territory where the enemy is absent.

7. You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places which are undefended.You can ensure the safety of your defence if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked.

7. You can be sure your attacks will succeed if you attack only undefended places. You can keep your defenses safe if you hold only positions that cannot be attacked.

8. Hence that general is skilful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skilful in defence whose opponent does not know what to attack.

8. So a general is skilled at attack when the enemy does not know what to defend. And a general is skilled at defense when the enemy does not know what to attack.

9. O divine art of subtlety and secrecy! Through you we learn to be invisible, through you inaudible; and hence we can hold the enemy’s fate in our hands.

9. What a divine art subtlety and secrecy are! Through them, we learn to remain unseen and unheard. And so we can hold the enemy’s fate in our hands.

10. You may advance and be absolutely irresistible, if you make for the enemy’s weak points; you may retire and be safe from pursuit if your movements are more rapid than those of the enemy.

10. You can advance without being stopped if you target the enemy’s weak points. You can retreat safely without being pursued if you move faster than the enemy.

11. If we wish to fight, the enemy can be forced to an engagement even though he be sheltered behind a high rampart and a deep ditch. All we need do is attack some other place that he will be obliged to relieve.

11. If we want to fight, we can force the enemy into battle, even behind high walls and a deep ditch. All we need to do is attack another place the enemy will be forced to defend.

12. If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the enemy from engaging us even though the lines of our encampment be merely traced out on the ground. All we need do is to throw something odd and unaccountable in his way.

12. If we do not want to fight, we can keep the enemy from engaging us. We can do so even if our camp's boundaries are merely marked on the ground. All we need to do is put something strange and puzzling in the enemy's way.

13. By discovering the enemy’s dispositions and remaining invisible ourselves, we can keep our forces concentrated, while the enemy’s must be divided.

13. By finding the enemy’s positions and staying hidden ourselves, we can keep our forces together. Meanwhile, the enemy’s forces must be divided.

14. We can form a single united body, while the enemy must split up into fractions. Hence there will be a whole pitted against separate parts of a whole, which means that we shall be many to the enemy’s few.

14. We can unite our forces, while the enemy must divide theirs. So our united force will face separate parts of the enemy’s force. As a result, we will outnumber the enemy at each encounter.

15. And if we are able thus to attack an inferior force with a superior one, our opponents will be in dire straits.

15. And if we can use a stronger force to attack a weaker one in this way, our opponents will be in serious trouble.

16. The spot where we intend to fight must not be made known; for then the enemy will have to prepare against a possible attack at several different points; and his forces being thus distributed in many directions, the numbers we shall have to face at any given point will be proportionately few.

16. We must keep secret the place where we intend to fight. Then the enemy will have to prepare for a possible attack at several different points. With his forces spread out in many directions, we will face proportionately fewer troops at any one point.

17. For should the enemy strengthen his van, he will weaken his rear; should he strengthen his rear, he will weaken his van; should he strengthen his left, he will weaken his right; should he strengthen his right, he will weaken his left. If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will everywhere be weak.

17. For if the enemy strengthens his front, he will weaken his rear. If he strengthens his rear, he will weaken his front. If he strengthens his left, he will weaken his right. If he strengthens his right, he will weaken his left. If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will be weak everywhere.

18. Numerical weakness comes from having to prepare against possible attacks; numerical strength, from compelling our adversary to make these preparations against us.

18. We become weaker in numbers when we must prepare for possible attacks. We become stronger in numbers when we force our enemy to prepare for attacks from us.

19. Knowing the place and the time of the coming battle, we may concentrate from the greatest distances in order to fight.

19. If we know where and when the battle will take place, we may gather even from great distances to fight.

20. But if neither time nor place be known, then the left wing will be impotent to succour the right, the right equally impotent to succour the left, the van unable to relieve the rear, or the rear to support the van. How much more so if the furthest portions of the army are anything under a hundred li apart, and even the nearest are separated by several li!

20. But if neither the time nor the place is known, the left wing cannot help the right. Nor can the right wing help the left. The front cannot relieve the rear, nor can the rear support the front. How much harder if the army’s farthest units are just under a hundred li apart, and even the nearest are several li!

21. Though according to my estimate the soldiers of Yüeh exceed our own in number, that shall advantage them nothing in the matter of victory. I say then that victory can be achieved.

21. Although I estimate that Yüeh has more soldiers than we do, their greater numbers will not help them win. So I say that victory can be achieved.

22. Though the enemy be stronger in numbers, we may prevent him from fighting. Scheme so as to discover his plans and the likelihood of their success.

22. Though the enemy has more troops, we may prevent him from fighting. Plan carefully to discover his plans and how likely those plans are to succeed.

23. Rouse him, and learn the principle of his activity or inactivity. Force him to reveal himself, so as to find out his vulnerable spots.

23. Provoke him, and learn what makes him act or hold back. Force him to reveal himself so you can find his weak spots.

24. Carefully compare the opposing army with your own, so that you may know where strength is superabundant and where it is deficient.

24. Carefully compare the enemy army with your own so you can identify where strength is abundant and where it falls short.

25. In making tactical dispositions, the highest pitch you can attain is to conceal them; conceal your dispositions, and you will be safe from the prying of the subtlest spies, from the machinations of the wisest brains.

25. The highest skill in positioning your forces is to keep those positions hidden. Conceal your positions, and you will be safe from even the most perceptive spies and the cleverest minds’ schemes.

26. How victory may be produced for them out of the enemy’s own tactics—that is what the multitude cannot comprehend.

26. How victory may be won for them through the enemy’s own tactics is something ordinary people cannot understand.

27. All men can see the tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.

27. Everyone can see the tactics I use to win. But no one can see the strategy behind my victory.

28. Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances.

28. Do not repeat the tactics that won you a victory. Instead, adapt your methods to the endless variety of circumstances.

29. Military tactics are like unto water; for water in its natural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards.

29. Military tactics are like water, because water naturally flows away from high places and rushes downhill.

30. So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.

30. So in war, avoid what is strong and strike at what is weak.

31. Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing.

31. Water shapes its course to match the ground it flows over. In the same way, a soldier plans his victory to match the enemy he faces.

32. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions.

32. So, just as water has no fixed shape, conditions in war never stay the same.

33. He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain.

33. A commander who adapts his tactics to his opponent and wins may be called a born military genius.

34. The five elements (water, fire, wood, metal, earth) are not always equally predominant; the four seasons make way for each other in turn. There are short days and long; the moon has its periods of waning and waxing.

34. The five elements (water, fire, wood, metal, earth) do not always have equal influence. The four seasons give way to one another in turn. Some days are short, and others are long. The moon goes through periods of waning and waxing.