Art of War 9.14
The Art of War (孫子兵法), The Army On The March 行軍篇
上雨水沫至欲涉者待其定也
When, in consequence of heavy rains up-country, a river which you wish to ford is swollen and flecked with foam, you must wait until it subsides.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
The T‘ung Tien and Yü Lan have a superfluous 下 before 水.
Character glossary
- 上shàngabove, on top, superior; to go up; to at
- 雨yǔrain
- 水shuǐwater, liquid, lotion, juice
- 沫mòbubbles, foam, froth, suds
- 至zhìreach, arrive; very, extremely
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 涉shèsconcerned, involved; to experience; to
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 待dàito entertain, to receive, to treat; to d
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 定dìngto decide, to fix, to settle; to order;
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
- Art of War 12.7
- Zhuangzi Tien Tzŭ Fang
- Mencius 3B.1
- The Doctrine of the Mean Passage 28
- Mencius 3A.3
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.