Art of War 11.68
The Art of War (孫子兵法), The Nine Situations 九地篇
是故始如處女敵人開戶後如脫兎敵不及拒
At first, then, exhibit the coyness of a maiden, until the enemy gives you an opening; afterwards emulate the rapidity of a running hare, and it will be too late for the enemy to oppose you.
Lionel Giles's notes
As the hare is noted for its extreme timidity, the comparison hardly appears felicitous. But of course Sun Tzŭ was thinking only of its speed. The words have been taken to mean: You must flee from the enemy as quickly as an escaping hare; but this is rightly rejected by Tu Mu. Capt. Calthrop is wrong in translating 兎 “rabbit.” Rabbits are not indigenous to China, and were certainly not known there in the 6th century B.C. The last sixteen characters evidently form a sort of four-line jingle. Chap. X, it may be remembered, closed in similar fashion.
Character glossary
- 是shìto be; indeed, right, yes; okay
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 始shǐto begin, to start; beginning
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 處chùto reside at, to live in; place, locale;
- 女nǚwoman, girl; female
- 敵díenemy, foe, rival; to match; to resist
- 人rénman, person; people
- 開kāito open; to start, to initiate, to begin
- 戶hùdoor; family
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 脫tuōto take off, to shed; to escape from
- 兎tùrabbit, hare
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 及jíto extend; to reach; and; in time
- 拒jùto defend, to ward off; to refuse
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.