Art of War 6.17
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Weak Points And Strong 虛實篇
故備前則後寡備後則前寡備左則右寡備右則左寡無所不備則無所不寡
For should the enemy strengthen his van, he will weaken his rear; should he strengthen his rear, he will weaken his van; should he strengthen his left, he will weaken his right; should he strengthen his right, he will weaken his left. If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will everywhere be weak.
Lionel Giles's notes
In Frederick the Great’s Instructions to his Generals we read: “A defensive war is apt to betray us into too frequent detachment. Those generals who have had but little experience attempt to protect every point, while those who are better acquainted with their profession, having only the capital object in view, guard against a decisive blow, and acquiesce in smaller misfortunes to avoid greater.”
Character glossary
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 備bèito prepare; to get ready, to equip; read
- 前qiánin front, forward; former, preceding
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 後hòuafter; behind, rear; descendants
- 寡guǎwidowed; friendless, alone
- 左zuǒleft; unorthodox, improper
- 右yòuright; right-wing
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Zhuangzi Opening Trunks
- Zhuangzi The Universe
- Mencius 2B.3
- The Great Learning Passage 1
- Zhuangzi Autumn Floods
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.