Sun Tzu Quotes

"Be as swift as the wind and as calm as a forest; invade like fire and stand steady like a mountain; be inscrutable as a shadow and move as lightning."

"The wise warrior avoids the battle."

"怒而撓之 If your opponent is of choleric temperament, seek to irritate him."

"Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack."

"亂而取之 Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him."

"故三軍之事，莫親於間，賞莫厚於間，事莫密於間 Of all those in the army close to the commander none is more intimate than the secret agent; of all rewards none more liberal than those given to secret agents; of all matters none is more confidential than those relating to secret operations."

"Know your enemy and know yourself, find naught in fear for 100 battles. Know yourself but not your enemy, find level of loss and victory. Know not thy enemy nor yourself, wallow in defeat every time."

"凡用兵之法，全國爲上；破國次之；全軍爲上，破軍次之；全旅爲上，破旅次之；全卒爲上，破卒次之；全伍爲上，破伍次之。 In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them."

"He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight."

"是故百戰百勝，非善之善者也；不戰而屈人之兵，善之善者也。 For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill."

"激水之疾，至於漂石者，勢也；鷙鳥之疾，至於毀折者，節也。 When torrential water tosses boulders, it is because of its momentum. When the strike of a hawk breaks the body of its prey, it is because of timing."

"The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim."

"Variant: The expert in battle seeks his victory from strategic advantage and does not demand it from his men."

"Great results can be achieved with small forces."

"There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare."

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

"故善戰者，至人而不至於人。 And therefore those skilled in war bring the enemy to the field of battle and are not brought there by him."

"故用兵之法，無恃其不來，恃吾有以待之；無恃其不攻，恃吾有所不可攻也。 The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable."

"故明君賢將，所以動而勝人，成功出於衆者，先知也。 Now the reason the enlightened prince and the wise general conquer the enemy whenever they move and their achievements surpass those of ordinary men is foreknowledge."

"To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy."

"兵者，國之大事，死生之地，存亡之道，不可不察也。 The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected."

"Variant: Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory."

"The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy, and does not require too much from individuals."

"守則不足，攻則有餘 One defends when his strength is inadequate; he attacks when it is abundant."

"兵者，詭道也。故能而示之不能，用而示之不用，近而示之遠，遠而示之近， All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near."

"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."

"Success in warfare is gained by carefully accommodating ourselves to the enemy's purpose."

"古之所善戰者，勝於易勝者也。 What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease."

"There is no instance of a nation benefiting from prolonged warfare."

"微乎微乎，至於無形；神乎神乎，至於無聲；故能為敵之司命。 Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate."

"吾士無余財，非惡貨也。無余命，非惡壽也。 If our soldiers are not overburdened with money, it is not because they have a distaste for riches; if their lives are not unduly long, it is not because they are disinclined to longevity."

"There are roads which must not be followed, armies which must be not struck, cities which must be not besieged."

"Let your rapidity be that of the wind, your gentleness that of the forest. In raiding and plundering be like fire, be immovable like a mountain. Be as hard to know as the shadow and move as fast as lightning."