Art of War 4.7
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Tactical Dispositions 形篇
善守者藏於九地之下善攻者動於九天之上故能自保而全勝也
The general who is skilled in defence hides in the most secret recesses of the earth;
he who is skilled in attack flashes forth from the topmost heights of heaven.
Thus on the one hand we have ability to protect ourselves; on the other, a victory that is complete.
Lionel Giles's notes
Literally, “hides under the ninth earth,” which is a metaphor indicating the utmost secrecy and concealment, so that the enemy may not know his whereabouts. The 九地 of this passage have of course no connection with the 九地 “Nine situations” of chap. XI.
Another metaphor, implying that he falls on his adversary like a thunderbolt, against which there is no time to prepare. This is the opinion of most of the commentators, though Ts‘ao Kung, followed by Tu Yu, explains 地 as the hills, rivers, and other natural features which will afford shelter or protection to the attacked, and 天 as the phases of weather which may be turned to account by the attacking party. Capt. Calthrop’s “The skilful in attack push to the topmost heaven” conveys no meaning at all.
Capt. Calthrop draws on a fertile imagination for the following: “If these precepts be observed, victory is certain.”
Character glossary
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 守shǒuto defend, to guard, to protect; to cons
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 藏cángto conceal, to hide; to hoard, to store
- 於yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 九jiǔnine
- 地deearth, ground, soil; land, region; struc
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 下xiàbelow, underneath; inferior; to bring do
- 攻gōngto accuse; to assault; to criticize
- 動dòngto move, to happen; movement, action
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 上shàngabove, on top, superior; to go up; to at
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 自zìself; private, personal; from
- 保bǎoto safeguard, to protect, to defend, to
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 全quánwhole, entire, complete; to preserve
- 勝shèngvictory; to excel, to truimph
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
- Art of War 6.8
- Zhuangzi On Letting Alone
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Art of War 11.41
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 55
- Art of War 10.24
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.