第六十九章 Dao De Jing · Chapter 69

In war, prefer to yield and never underrate the enemy; the side that grieves wins.

用yòng兵bīng有yǒu言yán：

Strategists have a saying:
“吾wú不bù敢gǎn为wéi主zhǔ而ér为wéi客kè，

"I dare not be the host but rather the guest;
不bù敢gǎn进jìn寸cùn而ér退tuì尺chǐ。”

I dare not advance an inch but rather retreat a foot."
是shì谓wèi行xíng无wú行xíng，攘rǎng无wú臂bì，

This is called marching without moving, rolling up one's sleeves without arms,
扔rēng无wú敌dí，执zhí无wú兵bīng。

facing no enemy, holding no weapon.
祸huò莫mò大dà于yú轻qīng敌dí，轻qīng敌dí几jī丧sàng吾wú宝bǎo。

No disaster is greater than underrating the enemy; underrating the enemy nearly loses my treasures.
故gù抗kàng兵bīng相xiāng加jiā，哀āi者zhě胜shèng矣yǐ。

So when armies meet, the side that grieves will win.

Words in this chapter

Words in chapter 69, with pinyin and meaning
Word	Pinyin	Meaning
用	yòng	to use
兵	bīng	arms, troops
有	yǒu	to have, to possess
言	yán	words, to speak
吾	wú	I
不	bù	not
敢	gǎn	to dare
为	wéi	to be, to count as
主	zhǔ	the host
而	ér	and yet, but
客	kè	guest
进	jìn	to advance
寸	cùn	an inch
退	tuì	to withdraw
尺	chǐ	a foot (length)
是	shì	this
谓	wèi	to call, to be called
行	xíng	to walk, to move
无	wú	not have, without, no
攘	rǎng	to roll up (sleeves)
臂	bì	arm
扔	rēng	to pull, to force
敌	dí	enemy
执	zhí	to hold, to grasp
祸	huò	disaster
莫	mò	no one, nothing
大	dà	great, big
于	yú	to, at
轻	qīng	light; to slight
几	jī	nearly, close to
丧	sàng	to lose
宝	bǎo	treasure
故	gù	therefore
抗	kàng	to oppose
相	xiāng	each other
加	jiā	to meet in battle
哀	āi	grief, mourning
者	zhě	one who, that which
胜	shèng	to overcome; victory
矣	yǐ	final particle (completion)

Compare: James Legge (1891)

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.

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.

Public domain. Source: Wikisource.

Meaning of chapter 69

Chapter 69 turns a saying of strategists into a lesson in restraint: better to be the guest than the host, better to retreat a foot than advance an inch. The host (主) is the side that starts the fight; the guest (客) is the side that only responds.

Four paradoxes follow: marching without moving, rolling up one's sleeves without arms, facing no enemy, holding no weapon. One way to read them is as an army that is ready but never shows itself as the aggressor. The greatest disaster, the chapter says, is to underrate the enemy, which nearly loses "my treasures", the three treasures of chapter 67: compassion, frugality and not daring to be first.

The last line says that when armies meet, the side that grieves will win. 哀 is grief or sorrow, not fury, and it fits chapter 31, which says that even a victory should be treated with the rites of mourning. Chapters 30 and 68 belong with this one.

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Meaning of chapter 69