Art of War 1.5–6
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Laying Plans 計篇
道者令民與上同意也故可與之死可與之生而民不畏危
The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
The original text omits 令民, inserts an 以 after each 可, and omits 民 after 而. Capt. Calthrop translates: “If the ruling authority be upright, the people are united”—a very pretty sentiment, but wholly out of place in what purports to be a translation of Sun Tzŭ.
Character glossary
- 道dàomethod, way; path, road
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 令lìngcommand, decree, order; magistrate; to a
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 與yǔand; with; to; for; to give, to grant
- 上shàngabove, on top, superior; to go up; to at
- 同tóngsame, similar; together with, alike
- 意yìthought, idea, opinion; desire, wish; me
- 也yěalso, too
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 死sǐdead; death; impassable, inflexible
- 生shēnglife, lifetime; birth; growth
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 畏wèifear, dread, awe, reverence
- 危wēidangerous, precarious; high
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Tao of God
- Art of War 10.25
- Zhuangzi Tien Tzŭ Fang
- Analects 10.2
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- Zhuangzi Contingencies
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.