玄用 · 哀者胜矣

Xuán Yòng

Classical Chinese Text

用兵有言："吾不敢为主，而为客；不敢进寸，而退尺。"是谓行无行；攘无臂；扔无敌；执无兵。祸莫大于轻敌，轻敌几丧吾宝。故抗兵相若，哀者胜矣。

Translation & Meaning

古代兵家有句格言：“我从不敢主动挑起战端做侵略之主，而只在迫不得已时应战自卫为客；不敢轻率贪进一寸，宁可审慎退让一尺。” 这就叫做列阵却不显剑拔弩张之阵势，奋起却不露攘臂逞勇之凶态，应敌却不作盲目死拼，执掌实力却似手中无兵。 最大的祸患莫过于傲慢轻敌，一旦轻敌好战，几乎就要断送我慈俭谦退的三宝。 所以当两军实力相当、对垒交锋之时，怀着悲悯苍生、痛惜生命之心被迫自卫的一方，必定获得最终胜利。

Commentary

青禾散人评注：“抗兵相若，哀者胜矣。”骄兵必败，狂兵易折；唯有对生命心存敬畏悲悯者，无傲气亦无退路，上下同心而不可战胜。

Linguistic & Character Analysis

  • 用 (yòng): use / function / apply
  • 兵 (bīng): classical character (bīng)
  • 有 (yǒu): manifest being / cosmos / to possess
  • 言 (yán): words / speech
  • 吾 (wú): I / myself
  • 不 (bù): not / un- / without
  • 敢 (gǎn): dare / venture forward
  • 为 (wèi): act / deem / become
  • 主 (zhǔ): classical character (zhǔ)
  • 而 (ér): yet / and / but
  • 客 (kè): classical character (kè)
  • 进 (jìn): classical character (jìn)
  • 寸 (cùn): classical character (cùn)
  • 退 (tuì): classical character (tuì)
  • 尺 (chǐ): classical character (chǐ)
  • 是 (shì): this / therefore
  • 谓 (wèi): called / named / designated
  • 行 (xíng): practice / teach / walk
  • 无 (wú): formless void / non-being / without
  • 攘 (rǎng): classical character (rǎng)
  • 臂 (bì): classical character (bì)
  • 扔 (rēng): classical character (rēng)
  • 敌 (dí): classical character (dí)
  • 执 (zhí): classical character (zhí)
  • 祸 (huò): classical character (huò)
  • 莫 (mò): classical character (mò)
  • 大 (dà): classical character (dà)
  • 于 (yú): to / at / in
  • 轻 (qīng): classical character (qīng)
  • 几 (jǐ): resembles / close to
  • 丧 (sàng): classical character (sàng)
  • 宝 (bǎo): classical character (bǎo)
  • 故 (gù): therefore / thus / consequence
  • 抗 (kàng): classical character (kàng)
  • 相 (xiāng): mutually / each other
  • 若 (ruò): classical character (ruò)
  • 哀 (āi): classical character (āi)
  • 者 (zhě): aspects / those who / things
  • 胜 (shèng): classical character (shèng)
  • 矣 (yǐ): [modal particle of realization]