Laozi · Complete work
Chapter 69
Chapter 69 of 81. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Classical Chinese
用兵有言：吾不敢為主，而為客；不敢進寸，而退尺。是謂行無行；攘無臂；扔無敵；執無兵。禍莫大於輕敵，輕敵幾喪吾寶。故抗兵相加，哀者勝矣。
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the original source for fidelity, modern clarity, beauty, symbolism, and structure.
In the use of arms there is a saying: I dare not act as host, but act as guest;I dare not advance an inch, but retreat a foot.This is called marching without a march;Baring arms without arms;Grasping without an enemy;Wielding without a weapon.No calamity is greater than taking the enemy lightly; taking the enemy lightly nearly costs me my treasures.Thus when evenly matched armies meet in combat, the one that grieves will win.
OpenTao
Complete CC BY 4.0 translation made directly from the received Chinese text; source line structure preserved.
Those who wage war have a saying: I dare not be the host who begins, but the guest who answers;I dare not advance an inch, but would rather retreat a foot.This is called marching with no marching formation;rolling up the sleeve on an arm that is not there;grappling with no enemy to seize;gripping a weapon that does not exist.Nothing is more disastrous than taking the enemy lightly—it almost costs me my treasure.Thus, when evenly matched armies clash, the one that mourns the battle will prevail.
James Legge (1891)
Complete public-domain translation made directly from the original source text.
1. A master of the art of war has said, 'I do not dare to be the host (to commence the war); I prefer to be the guest (to act on the defensive). I do not dare to advance an inch; I prefer to retire a foot.' This is called marshalling the ranks where there are no ranks; baring the arms (to fight) where there are no arms to bare; grasping the weapon where there is no weapon to grasp; advancing against the enemy where there is no enemy.
2. There is no calamity greater than lightly engaging in war. To do that is near losing (the gentleness) which is so precious. Thus it is that when opposing weapons are (actually) crossed, he who deplores (the situation) conquers.