Art of War 2.19
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Waging War 作戰篇
故兵貴勝不貴久
In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
As Ho Shih remarks: 兵不可玩武不可黷 “War is not a thing to be trifled with.” Sun Tzŭ here reiterates the main lesson which this chapter is intended to enforce.
Character glossary
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 兵bīngsoldier; troops, an army; warlike
- 貴guìexpensive, costly; valuable, precious
- 勝shèngvictory; to excel, to truimph
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 久jiǔlong ago; a long time
Passages with shared wording
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 3
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 27
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 64
- Mencius 3A.5
- Art of War 2.5
- Art of War 3.7
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.