X. TERRAIN

SUN TZU ON THE ART OF WAR

THE OLDEST MILITARY TREATISE IN THE WORLD

孫子兵法

Translated from the Chinese

By LIONEL GILES, M.A. (1910)

X. TERRAIN

 1. Sun Tzu said:  We may distinguish six kinds of terrain,

    to wit:  (1) Accessible ground; (2) entangling ground;

    (3) temporizing ground; (4) narrow passes; (5) precipitous

    heights; (6) positions at a great distance from the enemy.

 2. Ground which can be freely traversed by both sides

    is called accessible.

 3. With regard to ground of this nature, be before

    the enemy in occupying the raised and sunny spots,

    and carefully guard your line of supplies.  Then you

    will be able to fight with advantage.

 4. Ground which can be abandoned but is hard

    to re-occupy is called entangling.

 5. From a position of this sort, if the enemy

    is unprepared, you may sally forth and defeat him. 

    But if the enemy is prepared for your coming, and you

    fail to defeat him, then, return being impossible,

    disaster will ensue.

 6. When the position is such that neither side will gain

    by making the first move, it is called temporizing ground.

 7. In a position of this sort, even though the enemy

    should offer us an attractive bait, it will be advisable

    not to stir forth, but rather to retreat, thus enticing

    the enemy in his turn; then, when part of his army has

    come out, we may deliver our attack with advantage.

 8. With regard to narrow passes, if you can occupy

    them first, let them be strongly garrisoned and await

    the advent of the enemy.

 9. Should the army forestall you in occupying a pass,

    do not go after him if the pass is fully garrisoned,

    but only if it is weakly garrisoned.

10. With regard to precipitous heights, if you are

    beforehand with your adversary, you should occupy the

    raised and sunny spots, and there wait for him to come up.

11. If the enemy has occupied them before you,

    do not follow him, but retreat and try to entice him away.

12. If you are situated at a great distance from

    the enemy, and the strength of the two armies is equal,

    it is not easy to provoke a battle, and fighting will be

    to your disadvantage.

13. These six are the principles connected with Earth. 

    The general who has attained a responsible post must be

    careful to study them.

14. Now an army is exposed to six several calamities,

    not arising from natural causes, but from faults

    for which the general is responsible.  These are: 

    (1) Flight; (2) insubordination; (3) collapse; (4) ruin;

    (5) disorganization; (6) rout.

15. Other conditions being equal, if one force is

    hurled against another ten times its size, the result

    will be the flight of the former.

16. When the common soldiers are too strong and

    their officers too weak, the result is insubordination. 

    When the officers are too strong and the common soldiers

    too weak, the result is collapse.

17. When the higher officers are angry and insubordinate,

    and on meeting the enemy give battle on their own account

    from a feeling of resentment, before the commander-in-chief

    can tell whether or no he is in a position to fight,

    the result is ruin.

18. When the general is weak and without authority;

    when his orders are not clear and distinct; when there

    are no fixes duties assigned to officers and men,

    and the ranks are formed in a slovenly haphazard manner,

    the result is utter disorganization.

19. When a general, unable to estimate the enemy's

    strength, allows an inferior force to engage a larger one,

    or hurls a weak detachment against a powerful one,

    and neglects to place picked soldiers in the front rank,

    the result must be rout.

20. These are six ways of courting defeat, which must

    be carefully noted by the general who has attained

    a responsible post.

21. The natural formation of the country is the soldier's

    best ally; but a power of estimating the adversary,

    of controlling the forces of victory, and of shrewdly

    calculating difficulties, dangers and distances,

    constitutes the test of a great general.

22. He who knows these things, and in fighting puts

    his knowledge into practice, will win his battles. 

    He who knows them not, nor practices them, will surely

    be defeated.

23. If fighting is sure to result in victory,

    then you must fight, even though the ruler forbid it;

    if fighting will not result in victory, then you must not

    fight even at the ruler's bidding.

24. The general who advances without coveting fame

    and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only

    thought is to protect his country and do good service

    for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.

25. Regard your soldiers as your children, and they

    will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them

    as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you

    even unto death.

26. If, however, you are indulgent, but unable to make

    your authority felt; kind-hearted, but unable to enforce

    your commands; and incapable, moreover, of quelling disorder: 

    then your soldiers must be likened to spoilt children;

    they are useless for any practical purpose.

27. If we know that our own men are in a condition

    to attack, but are unaware that the enemy is not open

    to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.

28. If we know that the enemy is open to attack,

    but are unaware that our own men are not in a condition

    to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.

29. If we know that the enemy is open to attack,

    and also know that our men are in a condition to attack,

    but are unaware that the nature of the ground makes

    fighting impracticable, we have still gone only halfway

    towards victory.

30. Hence the experienced soldier, once in motion,

    is never bewildered; once he has broken camp, he is never

    at a loss.

31. Hence the saying:  If you know the enemy and

    know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt;

    if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your

    victory complete.