liù guó lùn
六 国 论
Six States Theory

sòng sū xún
(宋) 苏 洵
Su Xun of the Song Dynasty

liù guó pò miè fēi bīng bù lì
六 国 破 灭 ， 非 兵 不 利 ，
The downfall of the six states was not due to the ineffectiveness of their weapons,

zhàn bù shàn bì zài lù qín
战 不 善 ， 弊 在 赂 秦 。
but rather their poor warfare strategies, mainly because of bribing the Qin state.

lù qín ér lì kuī pò miè zhī dào yě
赂 秦 而 力 亏 ， 破 灭 之 道 也 。
By bribing the Qin, they weakened their own strength, leading to their eventual collapse.

huò yuē liù guó hù sàng shuài lù qín yé
或 曰 ： 六 国 互 丧 ， 率 赂 秦 耶 ？
Some may argue: Were the mutual downfalls of the six states all due to bribing the Qin?

yuē bù lù zhě yǐ lù zhě sàng
曰 ： 不 赂 者 以 赂 者 丧 ，
It can be said that those who did not bribe perished because of those who did,

gài shī qiáng yuán bù néng dú wán
盖 失 强 援 ， 不 能 独 完 。
as they lost strong allies and could not survive alone.

gù yuē bì zài lù qín yě
故 曰 ： 弊 在 赂 秦 也 。
Therefore, it is said that the flaw lay in bribing the Qin.

qín yǐ gōng qǔ zhī wài ， xiǎo zé huò yì dà zé dé chéng
秦 以 攻 取 之 外 ， 小 则 获 邑 ， 大 则 得 城 。
The Qin state, through its aggressive expansion, would gain smaller towns and larger cities as rewards.

jiào qín zhī suǒ dé yǔ zhàn shèng ér dé zhě ， qí shí bǎi bèi
较 秦 之 所 得 ， 与 战 胜 而 得 者 ， 其 实 百 倍 ；
Compared to what Qin has gained, and what it has won in battle, the actual amount is a hundred times more;

zhū hóu zhī suǒ wáng ， yǔ zhàn bài ér wáng zhě ， qí shí yì bǎi bèi
诸 侯 之 所 亡 ， 与 战 败 而 亡 者 ， 其 实 亦 百 倍 。
What the feudal lords have lost, and what they have lost in defeat, is also a hundred times more.

zé qín zhī suǒ dà yù ， zhū hóu zhī suǒ dà huàn gù ， bù zài zhàn yǐ
则 秦 之 所 大 欲 ， 诸 侯 之 所 大 患 ， 固 不 在 战 矣 。
Then, what Qin greatly desires and what the feudal lords greatly fear is not actually in warfare.

sī jué xiān zǔ fù ， pù shuāng lù zhǎn jīng jí ， yǐ yǒu chǐ cùn zhī dì
思 厥 先 祖 父 ， 暴 霜 露 ， 斩 荆 棘 ， 以 有 尺 寸 之 地 。
Thinking of their ancestors and fathers, who braved frost and exposure, and cut through thorns and brambles to possess even just an inch of land.

zǐ sūn shì zhī bù shèn xī ， jǔ yǐ yǔ rén ， rú qì cǎo jiè
子 孙 视 之 不 甚 惜 ， 举 以 予 人 ， 如 弃 草 芥 。
Their descendants, not cherishing it much, give it away to others, like discarding grass and weeds.

jīn rì gē wǔ chéng míng rì gē shí chéng ， rán hòu dé yī xī ān qǐn
今 日 割 五 城 ， 明 日 割 十 城 ， 然 后 得 一 夕 安 寝 。
Today, five cities are ceded, tomorrow, ten cities are ceded, and then they can have a night of peaceful sleep.

qǐ shì sì jìng ér qín bīng yòu zhì yǐ 。 rán zé zhū hóu zhī dì yǒu xiàn
起 视 四 境 ， 而 秦 兵 又 至 矣 。 然 则 诸 侯 之 地 有 限 ，
Looking at their surroundings, Qin’s troops have arrived again. Thus, the land of the feudal lords is limited,

bào qín zhī yù wú yàn fèng zhī mí fán qīn zhī yù jí
暴 秦 之 欲 无 厌 ， 奉 之 弥 繁 ， 侵 之 愈 急 。
While the insatiable desires of the tyrannical Qin become more demanding, and their invasions become more urgent.

gù bù zhàn ér qiáng ruò shèng fù yǐ pàn yǐ
故 不 战 而 强 弱 胜 负 已 判 矣 。
Therefore, without fighting, the strong and weak, victorious and defeated have already been determined.

zhì yú diān fù lǐ gù yí rán
至 于 颠 覆 ， 理 固 宜 然 。
As for the overthrow, it is naturally supposed to happen.

gǔ rén yún yǐ dì shì qín yóu bào xīn jiù huǒ ， xīn bù jìn huǒ bù miè
古 人 云 ：“ 以 地 事 秦 ， 犹 抱 薪 救 火 ， 薪 不 尽 ， 火 不 灭 。”
The ancients said: “Subjugating the land to Qin is like holding firewood to save a fire; as long as the firewood is not exhausted, the fire will not be extinguished.”

cǐ yán dé zhī
此 言 得 之 。
This saying is true.

qí rén wèi cháng lù qín zhōng jì wǔ guó qiān miè hé zāi
齐 人 未 尝 赂 秦 ， 终 继 五 国 迁 灭 ， 何 哉 ？
The people of Qi never bribed Qin, but ultimately they were destroyed after the other five states; why?

yǔ yíng ér bù zhù wǔ guó yě
与 嬴 而 不 助 五 国 也 。
They allied with Ying and did not assist the other five states.

wǔ guó jì sàng qí yì bù miǎn yǐ yān zhào zhī jūn
五 国 既 丧 ， 齐 亦 不 免 矣 。 燕 赵 之 君 ，
Once the five states were lost, Qi could not avoid it either. The rulers of Yan and Zhao,

shǐ yǒu yuǎn lüè néng shǒu qí tǔ yì bù lù qín
始 有 远 略 ， 能 守 其 土 ， 义 不 赂 秦 。
Initially had a far-reaching strategy, able to defend their land, and righteously refusing to bribe Qin.

shì gù yān suī xiǎo guó ér hòu wáng sī yòng bīng zhī xiào yě
是 故 燕 虽 小 国 而 后 亡 ， 斯 用 兵 之 效 也 。
That is why Yan, although a small state, was conquered later, which is the effect of using military force.

zhì dān yǐ jīng qīng wéi jì shǐ sù huò yān
至 丹 以 荆 卿 为 计 ， 始 速 祸 焉 。
When Dan employed Jing Qing as a strategy, it accelerated the disaster.

zhào cháng wǔ zhàn yú qín èr bài ér sān shèng
赵 尝 五 战 于 秦 ， 二 败 而 三 胜 。
Zhao fought five battles with Qin, losing twice and winning three times.

hòu qín jī zhào zhě zài lǐ mù lián què zhī jì mù yǐ chán zhū
后 秦 击 赵 者 再 ， 李 牧 连 却 之 。 洎 牧 以 谗 诛 ，
Later, Qin attacked Zhao again, and Li Mu successively repelled them. When Mu was executed due to slander,

hán dān wéi jùn xī qí yòng wǔ ér bù zhōng yě
邯 郸 为 郡 ， 惜 其 用 武 而 不 终 也 。
Handan as a prefecture, it is a pity that its military efforts were not sustained to the end.

qiě yān zhào chǔ qín gé miè dài jìn zhī jì
且 燕 赵 处 秦 革 灭 殆 尽 之 际 ，
Moreover, Yan and Zhao were in a precarious situation as the Qin dynasty was on the verge of annihilation,

kě wèi zhì lì gū wēi zhàn bài ér wáng chéng bù dé yǐ
可 谓 智 力 孤 危 ， 战 败 而 亡 ， 诚 不 得 已 。
Their intelligence and strength were isolated and in danger, defeated and perished, truly it had no other choice.

xiàng shǐ sān guó gè ài qí dì ， qí rén wù fù yú qín ， cì kè bù xíng
向 使 三 国 各 爱 其 地 ， 齐 人 勿 附 于 秦 ， 刺 客 不 行 ，
If the three kingdoms each cherished their land, the people of Qi did not side with the Qin, assassins did not act,

liáng jiàng yóu zài zé shèng fù zhī shù cún wáng zhī lǐ
良 将 犹 在 ， 则 胜 负 之 数 ， 存 亡 之 理 ，
Good generals were still present, then the chances of victory or defeat, the principles of survival or extinction,

tǎng yǔ qín xiāng jiào huò wèi yì liàng
当 与 秦 相 较 ， 或 未 易 量 。
Should have been compared with the Qin, perhaps not easily measurable.

wū hū yǐ lù qín zhī dì fēng tiān xià zhī móu chén
呜 呼 ！ 以 赂 秦 之 地 封 天 下 之 谋 臣 ，
Alas! To use the land that was offered to the Qin to enfeoff the strategists of the world,

yǐ shì qín zhī xīn lǐ tiān xià zhī qí cái ， bìng lì xī xiàng
以 事 秦 之 心 礼 天 下 之 奇 才 ， 并 力 西 向 ，
To serve the Qin with the hearts and minds of those who revered the talents of the world, and to unite their strength towards the west,

zé wú kǒng qín rén shí zhī bù dé xià yàn yě
则 吾 恐 秦 人 食 之 不 得 下 咽 也 。
Then I fear the people of Qin would not be able to swallow their food.

bēi fú yǒu rú cǐ zhī shì ， ér wéi qín rén jī wēi zhī suǒ jié
悲 夫 ！ 有 如 此 之 势 ， 而 为 秦 人 积 威 之 所 劫 ，
Alas! With such a situation, yet being coerced by the accumulated might of the Qin people.

rì xuē yuè gē yǐ qū yú wáng
日 削 月 割 ， 以 趋 于 亡 。
Day by day, month by month, approaching the point of no return.

wéi guó zhě wú shǐ wéi jī wēi zhī suǒ jié zāi
为 国 者 无 使 为 积 威 之 所 劫 哉 ！
For those who govern a nation, do not let them be coerced by the accumulated power!

fú liù guó yǔ qín jiē zhū hóu qí shì ruò yú qín
夫 六 国 与 秦 皆 诸 侯 ， 其 势 弱 于 秦 ，
The six states and Qin were all feudal lords, and their strength was weaker than that of Qin.

ér yóu yǒu kě yǐ bù lù ér shèng zhī zhī shì
而 犹 有 可 以 不 赂 而 胜 之 之 势 。
Yet, there was still a possibility for them to triumph without bribes.

gǒu yǐ tiān xià zhī dà ， xià ér cóng liù guó pò wáng zhī gù shì
苟 以 天 下 之 大 ， 下 而 从 六 国 破 亡 之 故 事 ，
If one considers the vastness of the world and follows the reasons for the downfall of the six states,

shì yòu zài liù guó xià yǐ
是 又 在 六 国 下 矣 。
It would be even lower than the six states themselves.