Literally, “have no invariable seat.”
There are short days and long; the moon has its periods of waning and waxing.
Cf. [V. § 6]. The purport of the passage is simply to illustrate the want of fixity in war by the changes constantly taking place in Nature. The comparison is not very happy, however, because the regularity of the phenomena which Sun Tzŭ mentions is by no means paralleled in war.
VII. 軍爭篇
MANŒUVRING.
The commentators, as well as the subsequent text, make it clear that this is the real meaning of 軍爭. Thus, Li Ch‘üan says that 爭 means 趨利 “marching rapidly to seize an advantage”; Wang Hsi says: 爭者爭利得利則勝 “‘Striving’ means striving for an advantage; this being obtained, victory will follow;” and Chang Yü: 兩軍相對而爭利也 “The two armies face to face, and each striving to obtain a tactical advantage over the other.” According to the latter commentator, then, the situation is analogous to that of two wrestlers manœuvring for a “hold,” before coming to actual grips. In any case, we must beware of translating 爭 by the word “fighting” or “battle,” as if it were equivalent to 戰. Capt. Calthrop falls into this mistake.
1. 孫子曰凡用兵之法將受命於君
Sun Tzŭ said: In war, the general receives his commands from the sovereign.
For 君 there is another reading 天, which Li Ch‘üan explains as 恭行天罰 “being the reverent instrument of Heaven’s chastisement.”
2. 合軍聚衆交和而舍
Having collected an army and concentrated his forces, he must blend and harmonise the different elements thereof before pitching his camp.