29. 倚仗而立者飢也
When the soldiers stand leaning on their spears, they are faint from want of food.
仗 is here probably not a synonym for 倚, but = 兵 “a weapon.” The original text has 杖而立者, which has been corrected from the T‘ung Tien and Yü Lan.
30. 汲而先飮者渴也
If those who are sent to draw water begin by drinking themselves, the army is suffering from thirst.
As Tu Mu remarks: 覩一人三軍可知也 “One may know the condition of a whole army from the behaviour of a single man.” The 先 may mean either that they drink before drawing water for the army, or before they return to camp. Chang Yü takes the latter view. The T‘ung Tien has the faulty reading 汲役先飮者, and the Yü Lan, worse still, 汲設飮者.
31. 見利而不進者勞也
If the enemy sees an advantage to be gained
Not necessarily “booty,” as Capt. Calthrop translates it. The T‘ung Tien and Yü Lan read 向人見利, etc.
and makes no effort to secure it, the soldiers are exhausted.