And so the sovereign
Critical Text
故 |
君 |
之 |
所 |
以 |
患 |
gu |
jun |
zhi |
suo |
yi |
huan |
thus |
sovereign |
's |
by-which |
take |
adversity |
軍 |
者 |
三 |
不 |
知 |
軍 |
jun |
zhe |
san |
bu |
zhi |
jun |
army |
one-who |
three |
not |
know |
army |
之 |
不 |
可 |
以 |
進 |
而 |
zhi |
bu |
ke |
yi |
jin |
er |
's |
not |
able |
to |
advance |
and |
謂 |
之 |
進 |
不 |
知 |
軍 |
wei |
zhi |
jin |
bu |
zhi |
jun |
say |
it |
advance |
not |
know |
army |
之 |
不 |
可 |
以 |
退 |
而 |
zhi |
bu |
ke |
yi |
tui |
er |
's |
not |
able |
to |
retreat |
and |
謂 |
之 |
退 |
是 |
謂 |
縻 |
wei |
zhi |
tui |
shi |
wei |
mi |
say |
it |
retreat |
this |
call |
hobble |
軍 |
不 |
知 |
三 |
軍 |
之 |
jun |
bu |
zhi |
san |
jun |
zhi |
army |
not |
know |
three |
army |
's |
事 |
而 |
同 |
三 |
軍 |
之 |
shi |
er |
tong |
san |
jun |
zhi |
affair |
and |
same-as |
three |
army |
's |
政 |
者 |
則 |
軍 |
士 |
惑 |
zheng |
zhe |
ze |
jun |
shi |
huo |
governance |
one-who |
then |
army |
officer |
confused |
矣 |
不 |
知 |
三 |
軍 |
之 |
yu |
bu |
zhi |
san |
jun |
zhi |
! |
not |
know |
three |
army |
's |
權 |
而 |
同 |
三 |
軍 |
之 |
quan |
er |
tong |
san |
jun |
zhi |
balance |
and |
same-as |
three |
army |
's |
任 |
則 |
軍 |
士 |
疑 |
矣 |
ren |
ze |
jun |
shi |
yi |
yi |
appointment |
then |
army |
officer |
distrustful |
! |
三 |
軍 |
既 |
惑 |
既 |
疑 |
san |
jun |
ji |
huo |
ji |
yi |
three |
army |
then |
confused |
then |
distrustful |
諸 |
侯 |
之 |
難 |
至 |
矣 |
zhu |
hou |
zhi |
nan |
zhi |
yi |
feudal |
lords |
's |
trouble |
intensify |
! |
是 |
謂 |
亂 |
軍 |
引 |
勝 |
shi |
wei |
luan |
jun |
yin |
sheng |
this |
call |
chaos |
army |
lead-to |
victory |
Yinqueshan Text
。。。所以患軍。。。知三軍。。。疑。。。既疑諸侯之。。。
Shiyijia zhu Text
故君之所以患於軍者三不知軍之 不可以進而謂之進不知軍之不可以退而謂之退
是謂縻軍不知三軍之事而同三軍之政者則軍士惑矣不知三軍之權而同三軍
之任則軍士疑矣三軍既惑且疑則諸侯之難至矣是謂亂軍引勝
Translation
And so the sovereign brings adversity to the army in three ways. Not knowing the army is unable to advance yet ordering an advance. Not knowing the army is unable to retreat yet ordering a retreat. This is what is meant by "hobbling the army." Not knowing affairs within the army yet controlling the governance of the army. Then the army officers are confused! Not knowing the three armies' balance yet controlling appointments in the three armies. Then the army officers are distrustful! Once the three armies are confused and distrustful, troubles from the feudal lords intensify! This is what is meant by "an army in chaos leads to victory."
Annotations
"An army in chaos leads to victory" (luan jun yin sheng 亂軍引勝). This is a perfect example of the Sunzi's compressed diction, which forces its Chinese as well as Western readers to discern the unmarked shift of subject between the two phrases--for of course the victory does not belong to the army in chaos. For example, Wu Jiulong (p. 47) goes to ungainly lengths to prove that yin 引 (to pull, thus "lead to or cause") actually might here mean "to lose."
