Terrain

1. Sun Tzŭ said: We may distinguish six kinds of terrain, to wit: (1) Accessible ground; (2) entangling ground; (3) temporising ground; (4) narrow passes; (5) precipitous heights; (6) positions at a great distance from the enemy.

1. Sun Tzu said: We may distinguish six kinds of terrain: (1) accessible ground, (2) entangling ground, (3) temporizing ground, (4) narrow passes, (5) steep heights, (6) positions far from the enemy.

2. Ground which can be freely traversed by both sides is called accessible.

2. Ground that both sides can move across freely is called accessible.

3. With regard to ground of this nature, be before the enemy in occupying the raised and sunny spots, and carefully guard your line of supplies. Then you will be able to fight with advantage.

3. On this kind of ground, occupy the high, sunny spots before the enemy does. Carefully guard your supply lines. Then you will be able to fight with an advantage.

4. Ground which can be abandoned but is hard to re-occupy is called entangling.

4. Ground that can be left behind but is hard to retake is called entangling.

5. From a position of this sort, if the enemy is unprepared, you may sally forth and defeat him. But if the enemy is prepared for your coming, and you fail to defeat him, then, return being impossible, disaster will ensue.

5. From this kind of position, you may advance and defeat the enemy if the enemy is unprepared. But if the enemy is ready for your attack and you fail to win, you cannot retreat. Disaster will follow.

6. When the position is such that neither side will gain by making the first move, it is called temporising ground.

6. When neither side would benefit from moving first, the position is called temporizing ground.

7. In a position of this sort, even though the enemy should offer us an attractive bait, it will be advisable not to stir forth, but rather to retreat, thus enticing the enemy in his turn; then, when part of his army has come out, we may deliver our attack with advantage.

7. In this kind of position, even if the enemy offers us tempting bait, we should avoid moving out. Instead, we should retreat to lure the enemy out in turn. Then, when part of the enemy's army has come out, we may attack with an advantage.

8. With regard to narrow passes, if you can occupy them first, let them be strongly garrisoned and await the advent of the enemy.

8. For narrow passes, if you can occupy them first, station strong forces there and wait for the enemy to arrive.

9. Should the enemy forestall you in occupying a pass, do not go after him if the pass is fully garrisoned, but only if it is weakly garrisoned.

9. If the enemy occupies a pass before you, do not advance against them if the pass is fully defended. Advance only if the pass is weakly defended.

10. With regard to precipitous heights, if you are beforehand with your adversary, you should occupy the raised and sunny spots, and there wait for him to come up.

10. On steep heights, if you arrive before your enemy, you should take the high, sunny ground. Then wait there for the enemy to come up.

11. If the enemy has occupied them before you, do not follow him, but retreat and try to entice him away.

11. If the enemy has occupied them before you, do not follow. Instead, retreat and try to lure the enemy away.

12. If you are situated at a great distance from the enemy, and the strength of the two armies is equal, it is not easy to provoke a battle, and fighting will be to your disadvantage.

12. If you are far from the enemy and both armies are equally strong, provoking a battle is difficult. Under those conditions, fighting will put you at a disadvantage.

13. These six are the principles connected with Earth. The general who has attained a responsible post must be careful to study them.

13. These six principles concern Earth. A general in a position of responsibility must study them carefully.

14. Now an army is exposed to six several calamities, not arising from natural causes, but from faults for which the general is responsible. These are: (1) Flight; (2) insubordination; (3) collapse; (4) ruin; (5) disorganisation; (6) rout.

14. An army faces six kinds of disaster. These come not from natural causes, but from mistakes for which the general is responsible. They are: (1) fleeing, (2) disobedience, (3) collapse, (4) ruin, (5) disorganization, (6) rout.

15. Other conditions being equal, if one force is hurled against another ten times its size, the result will be the flight of the former.

15. If all other conditions are equal, a force attacking another ten times its size will take flight.

16. When the common soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak, the result is insubordination. When the officers are too strong and the common soldiers too weak, the result is collapse.

16. When ordinary soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak, the result is insubordination. When officers are too strong and ordinary soldiers too weak, the result is collapse.

17. When the higher officers are angry and insubordinate, and on meeting the enemy give battle on their own account from a feeling of resentment, before the commander-in-chief can tell whether or no he is in a position to fight, the result is ruin.

17. When senior officers are angry and disobedient, they attack the enemy on their own out of resentment. They do so before the commander-in-chief can judge whether he is in a position to fight. The result is ruin.

18. When the general is weak and without authority; when his orders are not clear and distinct; when there are no fixed duties assigned to officers and men, and the ranks are formed in a slovenly haphazard manner, the result is utter disorganisation.

18. When the general is weak and lacks authority, orders are unclear, officers and soldiers have no fixed duties, and the ranks are arranged carelessly and haphazardly, the result is complete disorganisation.

19. When a general, unable to estimate the enemy’s strength, allows an inferior force to engage a larger one, or hurls a weak detachment against a powerful one, and neglects to place picked soldiers in the front rank, the result must be a rout.

19. Suppose a general cannot judge the enemy’s strength. He lets a smaller force fight a larger one, or sends a weak unit against a powerful one. If he also fails to put selected soldiers in the front line, the result must be a rout.

20. These are six ways of courting defeat, which must be carefully noted by the general who has attained a responsible post.

20. These are six ways to invite defeat. Any general appointed to a position of responsibility must pay careful attention to them.

21. The natural formation of the country is the soldier’s best ally; but a power of estimating the adversary, of controlling the forces of victory, and of shrewdly calculating difficulties, dangers and distances, constitutes the test of a great general.

21. The natural terrain is the soldier’s best ally. But a great general must assess the enemy and control the factors that lead to victory. He must also carefully calculate difficulties, dangers, and distances.

22. He who knows these things, and in fighting puts his knowledge into practice, will win his battles. He who knows them not, nor practises them, will surely be defeated.

22. Those who know these things and put their knowledge into practice in battle will win their battles. Those who neither know these things nor put them into practice will surely be defeated.

23. If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight, even though the ruler forbid it; if fighting will not result in victory, then you must not fight even at the ruler’s bidding.

23. If fighting is certain to bring victory, you must fight, even if the ruler forbids fighting. If fighting will not bring victory, you must not fight, even if the ruler orders you to fight.

24. The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.

24. The general who advances without seeking fame and retreats without fearing disgrace is a treasure to the kingdom. His only concern is to protect his country and serve his ruler well.

25. Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.

25. Treat your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys. See them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even to the death.

26. If, however, you are indulgent, but unable to make your authority felt; kind-hearted, but unable to enforce your commands; and incapable, moreover, of quelling disorder: then your soldiers must be likened to spoilt children; they are useless for any practical purpose.

26. But if you are lenient without asserting your authority, kind-hearted without enforcing your commands, and unable to stop disorder, your soldiers must be seen as spoiled children. Your soldiers are useless for any practical purpose.

27. If we know that our own men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the enemy is not open to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.

27. If we know our troops are ready to attack but do not realize the enemy is not vulnerable, we are only halfway to victory.

28. If we know that the enemy is open to attack, but are unaware that our own men are not in a condition to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.

28. If we know the enemy is vulnerable but do not realize our own troops are unfit to attack, we are only halfway to victory.

29. If we know that the enemy is open to attack, and also know that our men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the nature of the ground makes fighting impracticable, we have still gone only halfway towards victory.

29. Suppose we know the enemy is vulnerable to attack and our men are ready to attack. But if we fail to realize that the terrain makes fighting impossible, we are still only halfway to victory.

30. Hence the experienced soldier, once in motion, is never bewildered; once he has broken camp, he is never at a loss.

30. So once an experienced soldier is on the move, he is never confused. Once he has packed up camp, he is never unsure what to do.

31. Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete.

31. So the saying goes: If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will be certain. If you know Heaven and Earth, you may make your victory complete.