Art of War 10.24
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Terrain 地形篇
故進不求名退不避罪唯民是保而利合於主國之寳也
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.
Lionel Giles's notes
It was Wellington, I think, who said that the hardest thing of all for a soldier is to retreat.
合, which is omitted by the T‘u Shu, is said by Ch‘ên Hao to be equivalent to 歸. If it had to be separately translated, it would be something like our word “accrue.”
A noble presentment, in few words, of the Chinese “happy warrior.” Such a man, says Ho Shih, 罪及其身不悔也 “even if he had to suffer punishment, would not regret his conduct.”
Character glossary
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 進jìnto advance, to make progress; to come in
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 求qiúto seek; to request, to demand; to besee
- 名míngname; position, rank, title
- 退tuìto retreat, to step back, to withdraw
- 避bìto avoid, to turn away; to escape, to hi
- 罪zuìsin, vice; fault, guilt; crime
- 唯wéionly; sole
- 民míncitizens, subjects; a nation's people
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 保bǎoto safeguard, to protect, to defend, to
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 利lìgains, advantage, profit, merit
- 合héto combine, to join, to unite; to gather
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 主zhǔto own; to host; master; host; lord
- 國guócountry, nation, state; national
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 寳bǎotreasure, jewel; precious, rare
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi Mountain Trees
- Art of War 13.8
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Analects 11.21
- Zhuangzi The Tao of God
- Art of War 4.7
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.