12 Attack By Fire 火攻
The Use of Nature’s Destructive Power
Main ideas:
- Leverage the force of nature in war
- Caution against the destructive, indiscriminate nature of fire and water
- The use of fire and The Art Of War
Chapter eleven discusses the harnessing of fire and water as a weapon of mass destruction, allowing a smaller force to defeat a stronger one with the aid of nature.
One seeks to develop and have ready the means to use these forces when necessary and when conditions allow it. Due to the indiscriminate destruction of fire and water when used in an attack, one needs to understand their nature to use them effectively and avoid destruction of one’s own forces.
War is the continuation of politics by other means, and death and destruction are the results of war, not its objective. The epitome of success is hence victory with the least possible casualties and destruction. A wise leader therefore exercises restraint in the use of such destructive forces.
孙子曰：凡火攻有五：
一曰火人，
二曰火积，
三曰火辎，
四曰火库，
五曰火队。
Sun Tzu said: There are five ways of attacking with fire.
The first is to burn soldiers in their camp;
the second is to burn stores;
the third is to burn baggage trains;
the fourth is to burn arsenals and magazines;
the fifth is to hurl dropping fire (arrows) amongst the enemy.行火必有因，
烟火必素具。
In order to carry out an attack, we must have means available.
The material for raising fire should always be kept in readiness.发火有时，
起火有日。
时者，天之燥也；
日者，月在箕、壁、翼、轸也。
凡此四宿者，风起之日也。
There is a proper season for making attacks with fire,
and special days for starting a conflagration.
The proper season is when the weather is very dry;
the special days are those when the moon is in the constellations of the Sieve, the Wall, the Wing or the Cross-bar;
for these four are all days of rising wind.凡火攻，必因五火之变而应之。
火发于内，则早应之于外。
火发兵静者，待而勿攻，
极其火力，可从而从之，不可从而止。
火可发于外，无待于内，以时发之。
火发上风，无攻下风。
昼风久，夜风止。
In attacking with fire, one should be prepared to meet five possible developments:
(1) When fire breaks out inside to enemy’s camp, respond at once with an attack from without.
(2) If there is an outbreak of fire, but the enemy’s soldiers remain quiet, bide your time and do not attack.
(3) When the force of the flames has reached its height, follow it up with an attack, if that is practicable; if not, stay where you are.
(4) If it is possible to make an assault with fire from without, do not wait for it to break out within, but deliver your attack at a favorable moment.
(5) When you start a fire, be to windward of it. Do not attack from the leeward.
A wind that rises in the daytime lasts long, but a night breeze soon falls.凡军必知有五火之变，以数守之。
In every army, the five developments connected with fire must be known, the movements of the stars calculated, and a watch kept for the proper days.故以火佐攻者明，
以水佐攻者强。
水可以绝，不可以夺。
Hence those who use fire as an aid to the attack show intelligence;
those who use water as an aid to the attack gain an accession of strength.
By means of water, an enemy may be intercepted, but not robbed of all his belongings.夫战胜攻取，而不修其功者凶，
命曰费留。
Unhappy is the fate of one who tries to win his battles and succeed in his attacks without cultivating the spirit of enterprise;
for the result is waste of time and general stagnation.故曰：
明主虑之，
良将修之。
非利不动，
非得不用，
非危不战。
Hence the saying:
The enlightened ruler lays his plans well ahead;
the good general cultivates his resources.
Move not unless you see an advantage;
use not your troops unless there is something to be gained;
fight not unless the position is critical.主不可以怒而兴师，
将不可以愠而致战；
No ruler should put troops into the field merely to gratify his own spleen;
no general should fight a battle simply out of pique.合于利而动，
不合于利而止。
If it is to your advantage, make a forward move;
if not, stay where you are.怒可以复喜，
愠可以复悦；
亡国不可以复存，
死者不可以复生。
Anger may in time change to gladness;
vexation may be succeeded by content.
But a kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being;
nor can the dead ever be brought back to life.故明君慎之，
良将警之，
此安国全军之道也。
Hence the enlightened ruler is heedful,
and the good general full of caution.
This is the way to keep a country at peace and an army intact.Translation by Lionel Giles
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