Art of War 7.12
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Manœuvring 軍爭篇
故不知諸侯之謀者不能豫交
We cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbours.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
豫 = 先. Li Ch‘üan understands it as 備 “guard against,” which is hardly so good. An original interpretation of 交 is given by Tu Mu, who says it stands for 交兵 or 合戰 “join in battle.”
Character glossary
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 諸zhūall, many, various; surname
- 侯hóumarquis, lord; target in archery
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 謀móuto plan, to scheme; strategem
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 豫yùrelaxed; hesitant
- 交jiāoto connect; to deliver, to exchange; to
Passages with shared wording
- Art of War 11.52
- Zhuangzi On Declining Power
- Zhuangzi Robber Chê
- Zhuangzi The Old Fisherman
- Tao Te Ching Chapter 56
- Analects 17.21
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.