Laozi · Complete work
Chapter 31
Chapter 31 of 81. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Classical Chinese
夫佳兵者，不祥之器，物或惡之，故有道者不處。君子居則貴左，用兵則貴右。兵者不祥之器，非君子之器，不得已而用之，恬淡為上。勝而不美，而美之者，是樂殺人。夫樂殺人者，則不可以得志於天下矣。吉事尚左，凶事尚右。偏將軍居左，上將軍居右，言以喪禮處之。殺人之衆，以哀悲泣之，戰勝以喪禮處之。
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the original source for fidelity, modern clarity, beauty, symbolism, and structure.
Fine weapons are instruments of ill omen; all creatures may abhor them, so one who has the Way does not dwell with them.In ordinary life, the noble one honors the left; in war, the right.Weapons are instruments of ill omen, not instruments for the noble one; when compelled to use them, calm restraint is best.Win, but find no beauty in it; whoever finds beauty in it delights in killing people.Whoever delights in killing people cannot fulfill an ambition under heaven.In fortunate affairs, the left is honored; in baleful affairs, the right.The lieutenant general stands on the left, the commanding general on the right: this says to conduct war as a funeral rite.When multitudes are killed, mourn them with grief and tears; when battle is won, conduct it as a funeral rite.
OpenTao
Complete CC BY 4.0 translation made directly from the received Chinese text; source line structure preserved.
Even the finest weapons are tools of ill omen. Living things recoil from them, so one who follows the Way does not dwell among them.In ordinary life, the noble-minded honor the left; in war, the right.Weapons are tools of ill omen, unfit for the noble-minded. Only when there is no choice does one use them; calm detachment is best.Win, but find no beauty in victory; to find it beautiful is to delight in killing.Whoever delights in killing cannot realize his ambitions under heaven.The left is honored on auspicious occasions, the right on occasions of calamity.The junior general takes the left, the commander in chief the right: this means they are placed according to the rites of mourning.Those who have slain multitudes should grieve for them, mourn them, and weep for them. Victory in battle should be received with funeral rites.
James Legge (1891)
Complete public-domain translation made directly from the original source text.
1. Now arms, however beautiful, are instruments of evil omen, hateful, it may be said, to all creatures. Therefore they who have the Tao do not like to employ them.
2. The superior man ordinarily considers the left hand the most honourable place, but in time of war the right hand. Those sharp weapons are instruments of evil omen, and not the instruments of the superior man;--he uses them only on the compulsion of necessity. Calm and repose are what he prizes; victory (by force of arms) is to him undesirable. To consider this desirable would be to delight in the slaughter of men; and he who delights in the slaughter of men cannot get his will in the kingdom.
3. On occasions of festivity to be on the left hand is the prized position; on occasions of mourning, the right hand. The second in command of the army has his place on the left; the general commanding in chief has his on the right;--his place, that is, is assigned to him as in the rites of mourning. He who has killed multitudes of men should weep for them with the bitterest grief; and the victor in battle has his place (rightly) according to those rites.