Sun Zi – The Art of War

Chinese strategy explained : know yourself and the ennemy, use deception, spies, and "win with ease". Tr. Giles (en, annotated) and Amiot (fr).

Introduction
I. Laying Plans
II. Waging War
III. Attack by Stratagem
IV. Tactical Dispositions

V. Energy
VI. Weak Points and Strong
VII. Maneuvering
VIII. Variation in Tactics
IX. The Army On The March

X. Terrain
XI. The Nine Situations
XII. The Attack By Fire
XIII. The Use of Spies

Tactical Dispositions

Ts`ao Kung explains the Chinese meaning of the words for the title of this chapter: "marching and countermarching on the part of the two armies with a view to discovering each other's condition." Tu Mu says: "It is through the dispositions of an army that its condition may be discovered. Conceal your dispositions, and your condition will remain secret, which leads to victory,; show your dispositions, and your condition will become patent, which leads to defeat." Wang Hsi remarks that the good general can "secure success by modifying his tactics to meet those of the enemy."

Sunzi IV. 6.

The general who is skilled in defense hides in the most secret recesses of the earth;1 he who is skilled in attack flashes forth from the topmost heights of heaven.2 Thus on the one hand we have ability to protect ourselves; on the other, a victory that is complete.

1. Literally, "hides under the ninth earth," which is a metaphor indicating the utmost secrecy and concealment, so that the enemy may not know his whereabouts."

2. Another metaphor, implying that he falls on his adversary like a thunderbolt, against which there is no time to prepare. This is the opinion of most of the commentators.

Giles IV.7.

Les experts dans la dˆmfense doivent s'enfoncer jusqu'au centre de la Terre. Ceux, au contraire, qui veulent briller dans l'attaque doivent s'ˆmlever jusqu'au neuviˆome ciel. Pour se mettre en dˆmfense contre l'ennemi, il faut ˆ§tre cachˆm dans le sein de la Terre, comme ces veines d'eau dont on ne sait pas la source, et dont on ne saurait trouver les sentiers. C'est ainsi que vous cacherez toutes vos dˆmmarches, et que vous serez impˆmnˆmtrable. Ceux qui combattent doivent s'ˆmlever jusqu'au neuviˆome ciel ; c'est-ˆj-dire, il faut qu'ils combattent de telle sorte que l'Univers entier retentisse du bruit de leur gloire. Sa propre conservation est le but principal qu'on doit se proposer dans ces deux cas.

Amiot

Sun Zi IV. 6.