Art of War 2.2
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Waging War 作戰篇
其用戰也勝久則鈍兵挫銳攻城則力屈
When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, the men’s weapons will grow dull and their ardour will be damped.
If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
The Yü Lan omits 勝; but though 勝久 is certainly a bold phrase, it is more likely to be right than not. Both in this place and in § 4, the T‘ung Tien and Yü Lan read 頓 (in the sense of “to injure”) instead of 鈍.
As synonyms to 屈 are given 盡, 殫, 窮 and 困.
Character glossary
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 戰zhànwar, fighting, battle
- 也yěalso, too
- 勝shèngvictory; to excel, to truimph
- 久jiǔlong ago; a long time
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 鈍dùnblunt, obtuse; dull, flat; dim-witted
- 兵bīngsoldier; troops, an army; warlike
- 挫cuòto check, to obstruct, to push down
- 銳ruìsharp, pointed; keen, acute
- 攻gōngto accuse; to assault; to criticize
- 城chéngcastle, city, town; municipality
- 力lìstrength, power; capability, influence
- 屈qūto bend, to flex; bent, crooked, crouche
Passages with shared wording
- Art of War 2.4
- Mencius 5B.1
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Art of War 3.6
- Art of War 2.13–14
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.