VII. MANEUVERING

by Sun Tzu

　　1. Sun Tzu said: In war, the general receives hiscommands from the sovereign. 2. Having collected an army and concentrated his forces,he must blend and harmonize the different elements thereofbefore pitching his camp. 3. After that, comes tactical maneuvering,than which there is nothing more difficult.The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consistsin turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain. 4. Thus, to take a long and circuitous route,after enticing the enemy out of the way, and though startingafter him, to contrive to reach the goal before him,shows knowledge of the artifice of DEVIATION. 5. Maneuvering with an army is advantageous;with an undisciplined multitude, most dangerous. 6. If you set a fully equipped army in march in orderto snatch an advantage, the chances are that you will betoo late. On the other hand, to detach a flying columnfor the purpose involves the sacrifice of its baggageand stores. 7. Thus, if you order your men to roll up theirbuff-coats, and make forced marches without halting dayor night, covering double the usual distance at a stretch,doing a hundred LI in order to wrest an advantage,the leaders of all your three divisions will fall intothe hands of the enemy. 8. The stronger men will be in front, the jadedones will fall behind, and on this plan only one-tenthof your army will reach its destination. 9. If you march fifty LI in order to outmaneuverthe enemy, you will lose the leader of your first division,and only half your force will reach the goal. 10. If you march thirty LI with the same object,two-thirds of your army will arrive. 11. We may take it then that an army without itsbaggage-train is lost; without provisions it is lost;without bases of supply it is lost. 12. We cannot enter into alliances until we areacquainted with the designs of our neighbors. 13. We are not fit to lead an army on the marchunless we are familiar with the face of the country--itsmountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices,its marshes and swamps. 14. We shall be unable to turn natural advantageto account unless we make use of local guides. 15. In war, practice dissimulation, and you will succeed. 16. Whether to concentrate or to divide your troops,must be decided by circumstances. 17. Let your rapidity be that of the wind,your compactness that of the forest. 18. In raiding and plundering be like fire,is immovability like a mountain. 19. Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night,and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt. 20. When you plunder a countryside, let the spoil bedivided amongst your men; when you capture new territory,cut it up into allotments for the benefit of the soldiery. 21. Ponder and deliberate before you make a move. 22. He will conquer who has learnt the artificeof deviation. Such is the art of maneuvering. 23. The Book of Army Management says: On the fieldof battle, the spoken word does not carry far enough:hence the institution of gongs and drums. Nor can ordinaryobjects be seen clearly enough: hence the institutionof banners and flags. 24. Gongs and drums, banners and flags, are meanswhereby the ears and eyes of the host may be focusedon one particular point. 25. The host thus forming a single united body,is it impossible either for the brave to advance alone,or for the cowardly to retreat alone. This is the artof handling large masses of men. 26. In night-fighting, then, make much use of signal-firesand drums, and in fighting by day, of flags and banners,as a means of influencing the ears and eyes of your army. 27. A whole army may be robbed of its spirit;a commander-in-chief may be robbed of his presence of mind. 28. Now a soldier's spirit is keenest in the morning;by noonday it has begun to flag; and in the evening,his mind is bent only on returning to camp. 29. A clever general, therefore, avoids an army whenits spirit is keen, but attacks it when it is sluggishand inclined to return. This is the art of studying moods. 30. Disciplined and calm, to await the appearanceof disorder and hubbub amongst the enemy:--this is the artof retaining self-possession. 31. To be near the goal while the enemy is stillfar from it, to wait at ease while the enemy istoiling and struggling, to be well-fed while the enemyis famished:--this is the art of husbanding one's strength. 32. To refrain from intercepting an enemy whosebanners are in perfect order, to refrain from attackingan army drawn up in calm and confident array:--thisis the art of studying circumstances. 33. It is a military axiom not to advance uphillagainst the enemy, nor to oppose him when he comes downhill. 34. Do not pursue an enemy who simulates flight;do not attack soldiers whose temper is keen. 35. Do not swallow bait offered by the enemy.Do not interfere with an army that is returning home. 36. When you surround an army, leave an outlet free.Do not press a desperate foe too hard. 37. Such is the art of warfare.