Art of War 5.5
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Energy 埶篇
凡戰者以正合以奇勝
In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
Chang Yü says: 徐發奇兵或擣其旁或擊其後 “Steadily develop indirect tactics, either by pounding the enemy’s flanks or falling on his rear.” A brilliant example of “indirect tactics” which decided the fortunes of a campaign was Lord Roberts’ night march round the Peiwar Kotal in the second Afghan war.
Character glossary
- 凡fánany, every, all; common, ordinary
- 戰zhànwar, fighting, battle
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 正zhèngstraight, right, proper, correct, just,
- 合héto combine, to join, to unite; to gather
- 奇qístrange, unusual, odd; uncanny, occult
- 勝shèngvictory; to excel, to truimph
Passages with shared wording
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 57
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 32
- Zhuangzi Tsê Yang
- Analects 12.17
- Mencius 3B.9
- Mencius 4A.18
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.