War Dairy: September 3, 1594
Mu-in Drizzled.
At dawn I received a confidential letter from the King’s court.
It says “The generals on land and the admirals at sea
have folded their arms as they look at each other’s faces
without making any single plan to proceed or to attack the enemy.”
I should like to reply,
“No such thing in my sea-life during the past three years.
Though I swore with other captains of war
to avenge our slaughtered countrymen upon the enemy
by risking our own lives,
and we pass many days on land and at sea
in this resolution,
the enemy has taken his positions in deep trenches
and high fortresses on steep hills inaccessible to us.
It is not wise to proceed frivolously.
A wise captain of war should keep to the rule
“Knowing yourself and knowing the enemy
is the surest way to secure success in a hundred battles.”
A strong wind blew all day.
From early in the evening
I sat in candle light all alone.
As I think of the state affairs in utter confusion and disturbance,
there seems nobody in the central government
who could save the nation from danger.
What should be done?
Seeing that I sat up alone until ten o’clock,
Hungyang came in and talked with me deep into midnight
before he retired from my presence.