Art of War 2.4
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Waging War 作戰篇
夫鈍兵挫銳屈力殫貨則諸侯乘其幣而起雖有智者不能善其後矣
Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardour damped, your strength exhausted and your treasure spent, other chieftains will spring up to take advantage of your extremity. Then no man, however wise, will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
Following Tu Yu, I understand 善 in the sense of “to make good,” i.e. to mend. But Tu Mu and Ho Shih explain it as “to make good plans” — for the future.
Character glossary
- 夫fūman, husband; worker; those
- 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
- 屈qūto bend, to flex; bent, crooked, crouche
- 力lìstrength, power; capability, influence
- 殫dānutmost, entirely, quite; to use up
- 貨huòproducts, merchandise; goods, commoditie
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
- 侯hóumarquis, lord; target in archery
- 乘chéngride, mount; to make use of; to ascend;
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 幣bìcurrency, coins, legal tender
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 起qǐto begin, to initiate; to rise, to stand
- 雖suīalthough, even though
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 智zhìwisdom, knowledge, intelligence
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 矣yǐparticle of completed action
Passages with shared wording
- Art of War 2.2
- Zhuangzi Tien Tzŭ Fang
- Zhuangzi Tsê Yang
- Mencius 2A.1
- Hexagram 13
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.