Tao Te Ching LXIX

The strategists have the sayings:
“When you doubt your ability to meet the enemy’s attack,
Take the offensive yourself”
And “If you doubt your ability to advance an inch, then retreat a foot”.
This latter is what we call to march without moving,
To roll the sleeve, but present no bare arm,
The hand that seems to hold, yet had no weapon in it,
A host that can confront, yet presents no battle-front.
Now the greatest of all calamities is to attack and find no enemy.
I can have no enemy only at the price of losing my treasure.
Therefore when armies are raised
And issues joined it is he who does not delight in war that wins.

A. Plutôt la défensive que l’offensive, plutôt reculer d’un pied qu’avancer d’un pouce, sont des principes courants dans l’art militaire. Céder vaut mieux que triompher. Prévenir par la diplomatie vaut mieux encore.

B. C’est là le sens de certaines formules abstruses de l’art militaire, comme : avancer sans marcher ; se défendre sans remuer les bras ; statu quo sans lutte ; conserver sans armes, et autres.

C. Il n’est pas de fléau pire qu’une guerre faite à la légère, (cherchée délibérément, poussée au delà du nécessaire). Qui fait cela, expose ses biens à leur perte, et cause beaucoup de deuil.

Un stratégiste de l’antiquité a dit :

— Je n’ose pas être l’hôte ; j’aime mieux être l’invité. Je n’ose pas avancer d’un pouce ; j’aime mieux reculer d’un pied.

C’est là ce qu’on appelle : « Marcher sans qu’il y ait de marche, retrousser les manches sans qu’il y ait de bras, dégainer sans qu’il y ait d’épée, jouer des mains sans qu’il y ait d’adversaire. »

Il n’y a pas de plus grand malheur que de prendre son adversaire à la légère. Si je prends mon adversaire à la légère, je risque de perdre mes trésors. Car lorsque les armes opposées se croisent, c’est celui qui cède qui gagne.

Il faut, vis-à-vis des violents, parler ainsi. Je ne veux pas être le chef, mais l’étranger ; je n’ose ni monter d’un pouce, ni descendre d’un pied. Ainsi, commander sans paraître commander ; ne pas disputer ; gagner sans violence. Il faut commencer une chose sans éclat et doucement ; commencer doucement, c’est le mécanisme qui est notre trésor. Celui qui agit ainsi est plus fort que les armées. Beaucoup penser donne le succès.

Na arte militar, há um provérbio:

“Evito provocar, aguardo o desafio.

Não ouso avançar uma polegada, mas recuo um passo.”

Isso se chama avançar sem se mover, rechaçar sem erguer o braço, agir como se não houvesse inimigo, vencer sem armas.

Não há maior infelicidade que criar um inimigo.

É quase perder nosso tesouro.

Por isso, quando dois adversários se confrontam, aquele que é compassivo certamente obterá a vitória.

Os generais têm um ditado:
“Ao invés de fazer o primeiro movimento
é melhor esperar e ver.
Ao invés de avançar uma polegada
é melhor recuar uma jarda.
Não há maior infortúnio
do que menosprezar teu inimigo.
Menosprezar teu inimigo
significa pensar que ele é mau.
Assim destróis teus três tesouros
e te tornas um inimigo tu mesmo.
Quando duas grandes forças opõem uma a outra,
a vitória vai para aquela que sabe como ceder.

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.