Art of War 7.31
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Manœuvring 軍爭篇
以近待遠以佚待勞以飽待飢此治力者也
To be near the goal while the enemy is still far from it, to wait at ease
while the enemy is toiling and struggling, to be well-fed while the enemy is famished: — this is the art of husbanding one’s strength.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
The T‘ung Tien has 逸 for 佚. The two characters are practically synonymous, but according to the commentary, the latter is the form always used in Sun Tzŭ.
Character glossary
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 近jìnto approach; near, close; intimate
- 待dàito entertain, to receive, to treat; to d
- 遠yuǎndistant, remote, far; profound
- 佚yìto indulge in pleasures; to flee
- 勞láoto labor, to toil; to do manual work
- 飽bǎosatisfied; to eat one's fill
- 飢jīhungry, starving; hunger, famine
- 此cǐthis, these; in this case, then
- 治zhìto administer, to govern, to regulate
- 力lìstrength, power; capability, influence
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
- Mencius 7A.12
- Mencius 3A.4
- Zhuangzi Man Among Men
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
- Art of War 7.29
- Art of War 7.30
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.