Now the form of the military

Critical Text

Yinqueshan Text

。。。兵刑象水水行避高而走趨下之勝避實擊虛故水因地而制行兵 因適而制勝兵無成勢無恆形能與敵化之謂神

Shiyijia zhu Text

夫兵形象水水之行避高而趨下兵之形避實而擊虛水因地而制流兵因 敵而制勝故兵無常勢水無常形能因敵變化而取勝者謂之神

Translation

Now the form of the military is like water. Water in its movement avoids the high and hastens to the low. The military in its victory avoids the solid and strikes the empty. Thus water determines its movement in accordance with the earth. The military determines victory in accordance with the enemy. The military is without fixed shi and without lasting form. To be able to transform with the enemy is what is meant by "spirit-like."

Annotations

For "water in its movement (xing 行)" the received texts all have "in its form (xing 形)." For a discussion of comparable texts that support the Yinqueshan reading, see Yang Bing'an, p. 86. The parallel second phrase, "the military in its victory," appears as the weaker "the military in its form" in all the received texts.