Art of War 9.33
The Art of War (孫子兵法), The Army On The March 行軍篇
軍擾者將不重也旌旗動者亂也吏怒者倦也
If there is disturbance in the camp, the general’s authority is weak. If the banners and flags are shifted about, sedition is afoot.
If the officers are angry, it means that the men are weary.
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 omit 旌.
And therefore, as Capt. Calthrop says, slow to obey. Tu Yu understands the sentence differently: “If all the officers of an army are angry with their general, it means that they are broken with fatigue” [owing to the exertions which he has demanded from them].
Character glossary
- 軍jūnarmy, military; soldiers, troops
- 擾rǎoto poke, to disturb, to annoy, to agitat
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 將jiāngthe future, what will be; ready, prepare
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 重zhòngheavy, weighty; to double, to repeat
- 也yěalso, too
- 旌jīngto signal; a flag adorned with feathers
- 旗qíbanner, flag, streamer
- 動dòngto move, to happen; movement, action
- 亂luànanarchy, chaos; revolt
- 吏lìgovernment official, magistrate
- 怒nùanger, passion, rage
- 倦juàntired, weary
Passages with shared wording
- Art of War 10.17
- Mencius 2A.2
- Zhuangzi Joined Toes
- Zhuangzi Tsê Yang
- Zhuangzi The Great Supreme
- Analects 8.10
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.