Art of War 6.4
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Weak Points And Strong 虛實篇
故敵佚能勞之飽能飢之安能動之
If the enemy is taking his ease, he can harass him;
if well supplied with food, he can starve him out;
if quietly encamped, he can force him to move.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
This passage may be cited as evidence against Mei Yao-Ch‘ên’s interpretation of I. § 23.
飢 is probably an older form than 饑, the reading of the original text. Both are given in the 說文.
The subject to 能 is still 善戰者; but these clauses would read better as direct admonitions, and in the next sentence we find Sun Tzŭ dropping insensibly into the imperative.
Character glossary
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 敵díenemy, foe, rival; to match; to resist
- 佚yìto indulge in pleasures; to flee
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 勞láoto labor, to toil; to do manual work
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 飽bǎosatisfied; to eat one's fill
- 飢jīhungry, starving; hunger, famine
- 安ānpeaceful, tranquil, quiet
- 動dòngto move, to happen; movement, action
Passages with shared wording
- Mencius 4B.29
- Zhuangzi Horses' Hoofs
- Zhuangzi The Tao of God
- Zhuangzi The Circling Sky
- Zhuangzi Perfect Happiness
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 8
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.