Art of War 5.22
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Energy 埶篇
任埶者其戰人也如轉木石木石之性安則靜危則動方則止圓則行
When he utilises combined energy, his fighting men become as it were like unto rolling logs or stones. For it is the nature of a log or stone to remain motionless on level ground, and to move when on a slope; if four-cornered, to come to a standstill, but if round-shaped, to go rolling down.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
Ts‘ao Kung calls this 任自然勢 “the use of natural or inherent power.” Capt. Calthrop ignores the last part of the sentence entirely. In its stead he has: “So await the opportunity, and so act when the opportunity arrives” — another absolutely gratuitous interpolation. The T‘ung Tien omits 任.
Character glossary
- 任rènto trust, to rely on; to appoint; to bea
- 埶yìart
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 戰zhànwar, fighting, battle
- 人rénman, person; people
- 也yěalso, too
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 轉zhuǎnto move, to convey; to turn, to revolve,
- 木mùtree; wood, lumber; wooden
- 石shístone, rock, mineral
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 性xìngsex, nature, character; suffix convertin
- 安ānpeaceful, tranquil, quiet
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 靜jìngstill, quiet, motionless, gentle
- 危wēidangerous, precarious; high
- 動dòngto move, to happen; movement, action
- 方fāngsquare, rectangle; side; region; flag
- 止zhǐto stop, to halt; to detain; to desist
- 圓yuáncircle; circular, round; complete
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.