Art of War 7.33
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Manœuvring 軍爭篇
故用兵之法高陵勿向背邱勿逆
It is a military axiom not to advance uphill against the enemy, nor to oppose him when he comes downhill.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
The Yü Lan reads 倍 for 背.
Character glossary
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 兵bīngsoldier; troops, an army; warlike
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 法fǎlaw, rule, statute; method, way; French
- 高gāotall, lofty; high, elevated
- 陵línghill, mound; mausoleum
- 勿wùmust not, do not; without, never
- 向xiàngtowards; direction, trend
- 背bèiback, backside; to betray, to violate
- 邱qiūmound, hill; grave; surname
- 逆nìto disobey, to rebel; traitor, rebel
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.