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31. Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground

over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in

relation to the foe whom he is facing.

32. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in

warfare there are no constant conditions.

33. He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and

thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain.

34. The five elements (water, fire, wood, metal, earth) are not

always equally predominant;

[That is, as Wang Hsi says: "they predominate alternately."]

the four seasons make way for each other in turn.

[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.]