道德經

Tao Te Ching 31 · 31

Laying Down Arms

夫佳兵不祥之器，物或惡之，故有道者不處。君子居則貴左，用兵則貴右。兵者不祥之器，非君子之器，不得已而用之，恬惔為上。勝而不美，而美之者，是樂殺人。夫樂殺人者，則不可以得志於天下矣。吉事尚左，凶事尚右。偏將軍居左，上將軍居右，言以喪禮處之。殺人之眾，以悲哀泣之，戰勝，以喪禮處之。

Now, fine weapons are tools of ill omen. Creatures may hate them, so one who has the Way does not stay where they are. The noble one at home honors the left; when using weapons, he honors the right. Weapons are tools of ill omen, not the noble one’s tools. When he is not able to avoid it, he uses them. Calm and plain is best. He wins but does not praise it, and one who praises it is one who enjoys killing people. Now, one who enjoys killing people may not get his will in the world. Lucky affairs honor the left; unlucky affairs honor the right. The lesser general stands on the left, the chief general stands on the right: this means they are placed by the rites of mourning. When many people have been killed, weep for them with sorrow and grief. When the battle is won, treat it with the rites of mourning.

Word by word

夫fúNow佳jiāfine兵bīngweapons不bùill祥xiángomen之zhīofare器qìtools，物wùCreatures或huòmay惡wùhate之zhīthem，故gùso有yǒuhas道dàothe Way者zhěone who不bùdoes not處chǔstaywhere they are。君子jūn zǐThe noble one居jūat home則zé(then)貴guìhonors左zuǒthe left，when用yòngusing兵bīngweaponshe則zé(then)貴guìhonors右yòuthe right。兵bīngWeapons者zhěare不bùill祥xiángomen之zhīof器qìtools，非fēinot君子jūn zǐthe noble one之zhī’s器qìtools，When he is不bùnot得déable已yǐto avoidithe而érand用yònguses之zhīthem，恬tiánCalmand惔dànplain為wéiis上shàngbest。He勝shèngwins而érbut不bùdoes not美měipraiseit，而érand美měipraises之zhīit者zhěone who，是shìisone who樂lèenjoys殺shākilling人rénpeople。夫fúNow樂lèenjoys殺shākilling人rénpeople者zhěone who，則zé(then)不bùnot可kěmay以yǐ(to)得déget志zhìhis will於yúin天下tiān xiàthe world矣yǐ(!)。吉jíLucky事shìaffairs尚shànghonor左zuǒthe left，凶xiōngunlucky事shìaffairs尚shànghonor右yòuthe right。偏piānThe lesser將軍jiāng jūngeneral居jūstandson左zuǒthe left，上shàngthe chief將軍jiāng jūngeneral居jūstandson右yòuthe right，this言yánmeans以yǐbyof喪sāngmourning禮lǐthe ritesare處chǔplaced之zhīthey。have been殺shākilled人rénpeople之zhīofWhen眾zhòngmany，以yǐwith悲bēisorrowand哀āigrief泣qìweep for之zhīthem，When戰zhànthe battleis勝shèngwon，以yǐwithof喪sāngmourning禮lǐthe rites處chǔtreat之zhīit。，。，。；，。，。，。。，。，。；。，：。，。，。

The setting

Laozi on weapons and victory: even a won war is treated as a funeral, not a triumph.

A note on this passage

War belongs to the rites of mourning. When weapons come out, honour moves from the left to the right, the side used for mourning, and even a victory is received with funeral rites.

The seating plan is Laozi’s own. Heshang Gong explains it: the lesser general, though junior, stands on the yang side because he does not have sole charge of the killing; the commanding general stands on the right because the killing is his to order.

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