兵者，国之大事。
Sun Tzŭ said: The art of war is of vital importance to the State.
The Art of War/Lines
Lines from The Art of War
Every line here is taken from the text on this site, so the Chinese and the English are exactly as they appear in the chapters. Each one links back to the chapter it belongs to.
兵者，诡道也。
All warfare is based on deception.
攻其无备，出其不意。
Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.
故兵贵胜，不贵久。
In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.
不战而屈人之兵，善之善者也。
Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.
故上兵伐谋，其次伐交，其次伐兵，其下攻城。
Thus the highest form of generalship is to baulk the enemy’s plans; the next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy’s forces; the next in order is to attack the enemy’s army in the field; and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities.
知彼知己，百战不殆；不知彼而知己，一胜一负；不知彼不知己，每战必殆。
Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.
昔之善战者，先为不可胜，以待敌之可胜。
Sun Tzŭ said: The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.
是故胜兵先胜而后求战，败兵先战而后求胜。
Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.
凡战者，以正合，以奇胜。
In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory.
势如弩，节如发机。
Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow; decision, to the releasing of the trigger.
故善战者，致人而不致于人。
Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy’s will to be imposed on him.
避实而击虚
So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.
故兵无常势，水无常形。
Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions.
故其疾如风，其徐如林，侵掠如火，不动如山。
Let your rapidity be that of the wind, your compactness that of the forest.In raiding and plundering be like fire, in immovability like a mountain.
故三军可夺气，将军可夺心。
A whole army may be robbed of its spirit; a commander-in-chief may be robbed of his presence of mind.
围师必阙，穷寇勿迫。
When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard.
是故智者之虑，必杂于利害。
Hence in the wise leader’s plans, considerations of advantage and of disadvantage will be blended together.
故令之以文，齐之以武，是谓必取。
Therefore soldiers must be treated in the first instance with humanity, but kept under control by means of iron discipline. This is a certain road to victory.
知彼知己，胜乃不殆；知天知地，胜乃可全。
Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete.
视卒如婴儿，故可与之赴深溪；视卒如爱子，故可与之俱死。
Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.
投之亡地然后存，陷之死地然后生。
Place your army in deadly peril, and it will survive; plunge it into desperate straits, and it will come off in safety.
并敌一向，千里杀将。
By persistently hanging on the enemy’s flank, we shall succeed in the long run in killing the commander-in-chief.
是故始如处女，敌人开户；后如脱兔，敌不及拒。
At first, then, exhibit the coyness of a maiden, until the enemy gives you an opening; afterwards emulate the rapidity of a running hare, and it will be too late for the enemy to oppose you.
非利不动，非得不用，非危不战。
Move not unless you see an advantage; use not your troops unless there is something to be gained; fight not unless the position is critical.
亡国不可以复存，死者不可以复生。
But a kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life.
五间俱起，莫知其道，是谓神纪，人君之宝也。
When these five kinds of spy are all at work, none can discover the secret system. This is called "divine manipulation of the threads." It is the sovereign’s most precious faculty.
故惟明君贤将，能以上智为间者，必成大功。
Hence it is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for purposes of spying and thereby they achieve great results. Spies are a most important element in war, because on them depends an army’s ability to move.