Sun Tzu (sayings recorded c. 6th-3rd century BCE)
“He who advances
Without seeking
Fame,
Who retreats
without escaping
Blame,
He whose one aim is
To protect his people
And serve his lord,
This man is
A Jewel of the Realm.”
- From Sun Tzu’s The Art of War (Chapter Ten), translated by John Minford (Penguin Classics edition).