Who said "Only five notes, yet more melodies than anyone can hear."?

Sun Tzu (c. 5th century BC). Source: The Art of War 5 (Energy).

What is the original Chinese?

聲不過五，五聲之變，不可勝聽也. Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.

聲不過五，五聲之變，不可勝聽也

Only five notes, yet more melodies than anyone can hear.

Sun Tzu, The Art of War 5 (Energy)

What it means

A few basic elements combine into endless variety. Sun Tzu says tactics work the same way. Master the fundamentals and you have more options than you can count.

The source

"Only five notes, yet more melodies than anyone can hear." Sun Tzu said it in The Art of War 5 (Energy). Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.

"聲不過五，五聲之變，不可勝聽也"

Original Chinese, The Art of War 5 (Energy). Text read at zh.wikisource.org.

Who said it

Sun Tzu (c. 5th century BC). Chinese general traditionally credited with The Art of War, a short book on strategy that values preparation, deception and winning without battle. It has been read by commanders, athletes and founders ever since.

Questions

What does "Only five notes, yet more melodies than anyone can hear." mean?: A few basic elements combine into endless variety. Sun Tzu says tactics work the same way. Master the fundamentals and you have more options than you can count.
Who said "Only five notes, yet more melodies than anyone can hear."?: Sun Tzu (c. 5th century BC). Source: The Art of War 5 (Energy).
What is the original Chinese?: 聲不過五，五聲之變，不可勝聽也. Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.
Is "Only five notes, yet more melodies than anyone can hear." on a shirt?: Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

Cite this line

"Only five notes, yet more melodies than anyone can hear." (Sun Tzu, The Art of War 5 (Energy), translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/only-five-notes-yet-more-melodies-than-anyone