Passage 5-3
故善出奇者, 無窮如天地, 不竭如江河, 終而復始, 日月是也; 死而復生, 四時是也. 聲不過五, 五聲之變, 不可勝聽也. 色不過五, 五色之變, 不可勝觀也. 味不過五, 五味之變, 不可勝嘗也. 戰勢不過奇正, 奇正之變, 不可勝窮也. 奇正相生, 如循環之無端, 孰能窮之.
Those skilled in the extraordinary are infinite as heaven and earth, inexhaustible as rivers and streams. They end and begin again like sun and moon, die and revive like the four seasons. Musical notes number only five, yet their variations are more than can be heard Primary colors number only five, yet their variations are more than can be seen Flavors number only five, yet their variations are more than can be tasted In warfare, strategic configurations are only orthodox and extraordinary, yet their variations are inexhaustible The extraordinary and orthodox engender each other in endless cycles—who can exhaust them?
The interplay of orthodox (正) and unorthodox (奇) forces — like the five notes of music creating infinite melodies. Combinatorial strategy as the engine of battlefield creativity.
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