Art of War 9.19
The Art of War (孫子兵法), The Army On The March 行軍篇
遠而挑戰者欲人之進也
When he keeps aloof and tries to provoke a battle, he is anxious for the other side to advance.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
Probably because we are in a strong position from which he wishes to dislodge us. “If he came close up to us,” says Tu Mu, “and tried to force a battle, he would seem to despise us, and there would be less probability of our responding to the challenge.”
Character glossary
- 遠yuǎndistant, remote, far; profound
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 挑tiāoto select, to choose; picky, choosy; a l
- 戰zhànwar, fighting, battle
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 欲yùdesire, want, longing, intent
- 人rénman, person; people
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 進jìnto advance, to make progress; to come in
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
- Analects 5.11
- Art of War 10.12
- Art of War 3.13
- Zhuangzi The Identity of Contraries
- Art of War 9.38
- Zhuangzi Tsê Yang
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.