And so the skilled general

Critical Text

Yinqueshan Text

故善將者刑人而無刑則我專而適分我專而為一敵分而十是以十擊一也 我而寡適眾能以寡擊眾。。。

Shiyijia zhu Text

故形人而我無形則我專而敵分我專為一敵分為 十是以十攻其一也 則我眾敵寡能以眾擊寡者則吾之所與戰者約矣

Translation

And so the skilled general forms others yet is without form. Hence I am concentrated and the enemy is divided. I am concentrated and thus one. The enemy is divided and thus one-tenth. This is using one-tenth to strike one. When I am few and the enemy is many, I can use the few to strike the many because those with whom I do battle are restricted!

Annotations

The Yinqueshan text reads, "When I am few and the enemy is many, I can use the few to strike the many because those with whom I do battle are restricted!" The received texts all say, "When I am many and the enemy is few, I can use the many to strike the few." This is another of the half-dozen instances in the thirteen chapters where the early Sunzi appears to have been too steep for its later readers. The sense of the original is consistent with the immediately subsequent passages of this chapter, especially the remark that "Though by my estimate the military of Yue is many, how does this further victory?"