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“Punk: "What did you do? How did you earn your title shot at Wrestlemania? You enter yourself in a circus-like 30 man over-the-top battle royal, you stroll in somewhere around 25 or something like that? You throw a couple ham 'n eggers over the top rope.. and you think that earns you it then?" (to John Cena)”
CM Punk (born 1978) first seen 2013 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: February 18, 2013
“I have killed, robbed, and injured too many white men to believe in a good peace. They are medicine, and I would eventually die a lingering death. I had rather die on the field of battle.”
Sitting Bull (1831–1890) first seen 1867 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Recorded by Charles Larpenteur at Fort Union in 1867. Published in Utley, Robert M. The Lance and the Shield. New York: Henry Holt and Co., 1993. p. 73.
“Seldom has a battle, in which greater numbers were not engaged, been so important in its consequences as that of Cowpens..”
John Marshall (1755–1835) first seen 1832 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Life of George Washington : Commander in Chief of the American Forces, During the War Which Established the Independence of his Country, and First President of the United States. Second Edition, Revised and Correcte…
“Shall victor exult, or in death be laid low, With his back to the field and his feet to the foe, And leaving in battle no blot on his name, Look proudly to heaven from the death-bed of fame.”
Thomas Campbell (poet) first seen 1802 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Lochiel's Warning (1802)
Also quoted by: Thomas Campbell
“Ye mariners of England, That guard our native seas; Whose flag has braved, a thousand years, The battle and the breeze!”
Thomas Campbell (poet) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Also quoted by: Thomas Campbell
“While the battle rages loud and long, And the stormy winds do blow.”
Thomas Campbell (poet) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Again to the battle, Achaians! Our hearts bid the tyrants defiance! Our land, the first garden of Liberty's tree, It has been, and shall yet be, the land of the free.”
Thomas Campbell (poet) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Also quoted by: Thomas Campbell
“How glorious fall the valiant, sword in hand, In front of battle for their native land!”
Thomas Campbell (poet) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The Third World deserves freedom of speech just like everyone else. We want to fight the battle to say what we want, whether to be serious or just make fun of ourselves. That's what "Worldtown" is about, that's what "Paper Planes" is about. It's what people in the third world live through.”
M.I.A. (born 1975) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The boy stood on the burning deck, Whence all but him had fled; The flame that lit the battle's wreck Shone round him o'er the dead.”
Felicia Hemans (1793–1835) first seen 1826 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Casabianca, st. 1 (1826).
Also quoted by: Felicia D. Hemans
“The triumphal-procession-air which, in our manners and customs, is given to marriage at the outset — that singing of Te Deum before the battle has begun.”
Jane Welsh Carlyle (1801–1866) first seen 1859 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Letter to Miss Barnes (24 August 1859).
“It was jest another instance of a flaw in work of man; A lefty never figgered in the gunman’s battle plan; There ain’t no scheme man thinks of that Dame Nature cannot beat — So his pupils are unlearnin’ that cute trick they got from Pete.”
Arthur Chapman (poet) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Whither depart the souls of the brave that die in the battle, Die in the lost, lost fight, for the cause that perishes with them?”
Arthur Hugh Clough (1819–1861) said by 1861 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I am the heartbreak over fallen things, The sudden gentleness that stays the blow, And I am in the kiss that foemen give Pausing in battle, and in the tears that fall Over the vanquished foe, and in the highest; Among the Danaan gods, I am the last Council of mercy in their hearts where they Mete justice from a thousand starry thrones.”
George William Russell (1867–1935) said by 1935 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“God, give us peace! not such as lulls to sleep, But sword on thigh and brow with purpose knit! And let our Ship of State to harbor sweep, Her ports all up, her battle lanterns lit, And her leashed thunders gathering for their leap!”
James Russell Lowell (1819–1891) first seen 1861 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Washers of the Shroud. October 1861", stanza 21, p. 237
“We must march against the enemy, and teach him that he must go and get what he wants by attacking someone who will not resist him, but that men whose glory it is to be always ready to give battle for the liberty of their own country, and never unjustly to enslave that of others, will not let him go without a struggle.”
Thucydides (461–395 BC) said by 395 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“And fighting the battle of life is fighting against fearful odds, too. There are giants and dragons in this nineteenth century, and the golden casket that they guard is not so easy to win as it appears in the story-books.”
Jerome K. Jerome (1859–1927) said by 1927 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Conceit is the finest armor that a man can wear. Upon its smooth, impenetrable surface the puny dagger-thrusts of spite and envy glance harmlessly aside. Without that breast-plate the sword of talent cannot force its way through the battle of life, for blows have to be borne as well as dealt.”
Jerome K. Jerome (1859–1927) said by 1927 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Getting men to give officers the respect their rank deserved was a battle the army hadn’t won yet and wouldn’t anytime soon.”
Harry Turtledove (born 1949) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“From the way of Go, the beauty of Japan and the Orient had fled. Everything had become science and regulation. The road to advancement in rank, which controlled the life of a player, had become a meticulous point system. One conducted the battle only to win, and there was no margin for remembering the dignity and the fragrance of Go as an art.”
Yasunari Kawabata (1899–1972) said by 1972 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“If you are slain in battle, you should be resolved to have your corpse facing the enemy.”
Yamamoto Tsunetomo (1659–1719) said by 1719 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“[T]he Jews will gather from all parts of the world into occupied Palestine, not in order to bring about the anti-Christ and the end of the world, but rather that Allah the Glorified and Most High wants to save you from having to go to the ends of the world [to kill them], for they have gathered in one place–they have gathered in one place–and there the final and decisive battle will take place.”
Hassan Nasrallah (1960–2024) said by 2024 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It is justice, not love, that will one day give life to the children of the future. The battle for justice is the one thing which gives human life rational meaning.”
Halldór Laxness (1902–1998) said by 1998 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My name is Steinar Steinsson, from Hlíðar in Steinahlíðar. I bid the king welcome to Iceland. We are of the same kin, according to the genealogy which Bjarni Guðmundsson of Fuglavík prepared for my grandfather. I am of Jutland origin, descended from King Harald Hilditönn, who fought the battle of Brávellir.”
Halldór Laxness (1902–1998) said by 1998 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We are awaiting aggression by Israel and any supporters of Israel. We will make it a decisive battle and get rid of Israel once and for all… This is the dream of every Arab.”
Gamal Abdel Nasser (1918–1970) first seen 1959 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in the Washington Post (27 July 1959)
“If the Jews win this battle, then the Arabs had better go bury their faces in the mud!”
Gamal Abdel Nasser (1918–1970) said by 1970 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“No one ever goes into battle thinking God is on the other side. -Zedd, Wizard's First Rule”
Terry Goodkind (1948–2020) said by 2020 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Our strongest ally in the battle against death is the combination of futurism, transhumanism, science, technology, philosophy, and politics.”
Newton Lee wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“For the first time in my life, I took part in a real battle between men. The dead did not come to life again, the vanquished fled in disorder; every thrust of my lance helped save Carmona. That day, I would have died with a smile on my lips, certain of having contributed to a triumphant future for my city.”
Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986) said by 1986 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Because no battle is ever won. They are not even fought. The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair, and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools. Be different!”
Kim Peek (1951–2009) said by 2009 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Engage in combat fully determined to die and you will be alive; wish to survive in the battle and you will surely meet death.”
Uesugi Kenshin (1530–1578) said by 1578 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quoted in Suzuki, Daisetz Teitaro; Zen Buddhism and Its Influence on Japanese Culture (1970); p. 188
“That day of battle in the dusty heat We lay and heard the bullets swish and sing Like scythes amid the over-ripened wheat, And we the harvest of their garnering.”
John McCrae (1872–1918) first seen 1906 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Unconquered Dead", st. 2. From the University Magazine (1906)
“Bear it aloft, O roaring flame! Skyward aloft, where all may see. Slaves of the World! Our cause is the same; One is the immemorial shame; One is the struggle, and in One name — Manhood— we battle to set men free. "Uncurse us the Land!" burn the words of the Dead, Written-in-red.”
Voltairine de Cleyre (1866–1912) said by 1912 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“..[to gather] under a new banner.. ..[that the poets of yesterday's Futurism ] change the means of battle with thought, content, and logic.. ..advance Alogism after Futurism.”
Kazimir Malevich (1879–1935) first seen 1915 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Nov. 1915; as cited by Vasilii Rakitin, in The great Utopia - The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde, 1915-1932; Guggenheim Museum, New York, 1992, p. 26
“Remember that a picture, before being a battle horse, a female nude or some sort of anecdote, is essentially a flat surface covered with colors assembled in a certain order.”
Maurice Denis (1870–1943) said by 1943 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Politics is about winning. If you don’t win, you don’t get to put your principles into practice. Therefore, find a way to win, or sit the battle out.”
David Horowitz (1939–2025) said by 2025 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The agricultural labourers have been better off this winter and last winter than they were before, and rely upon it that when the working-classes feel convinced that their wages do not rise with the price of food, the worst grounds on which we can fight the battle of true Conservatism is food.”
Robert Peel (1788–1850) first seen 1830 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Letter to Charles Arbuthnot (7 January 1846), quoted in Norman Gash, Sir Robert Peel: The Life of Sir Robert Peel after 1830 (1972), pp. 566–567
“The battle is approaching its end. Since the enemy’s landing, even the gods would weep at the bravery of the officers and men under my command. … [My] men died one by one, and I regret very much that I have allowed the enemy to occupy a piece of Japanese territory.”
Tadamichi Kuribayashi (1891–1945) said by 1945 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Ever since, I have fought a vague kind of battle for some kind of fairness.”
Peter Blake (born 1932) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Cited in Charlotte Higgins, "It was 37 years ago today – and Sgt Pepper cover has still failed to pay", The Guardian, 2004-06-03
“Clowns divorce. Custardy battle.”
Simon Munnery (born 1967) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In martial wind, and in clarion rain, we minced into battle, wincing in pain; not meant for walking, backs bound in twine: not angel or devil, but level, in time.”
Joanna Newsom (born 1982) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Even things without life that give sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction of sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped ? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle ? So likewise you, except you utter by the tongue plain speech, how shall it be known what is said? For you shall be speaking into the air.”
Paul of Tarsus (5–66) said by 66 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I tell my brethren in Palestine: be patient and continue your blessed struggle.… We did not forget you. We are still healing another wound in the Muslim nation, which is the occupation of our land by the Americans. Your battle and ours are one and the same,”
Mohammed Omar (1960–2013) first seen 2002 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Interview with Asharq al-Awsat, 16 May 2002
“Though I battle blind, Love is a fate resigned Memories mar my mind, Love is a fate resigned Over futile odds, And laughed at by the gods And now the final frame, Love is a losing game.”
Amy Winehouse (1983–2011) said by 2011 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I'll battle this bitter finale, Just me, my dignity and this guitar case.”
Amy Winehouse (1983–2011) said by 2011 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“No plan of battle survives contact with the enemy, and time is the ultimate opponent.”
Charles Stross (born 1964) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“He’s found a teapot and milk and is brewing up, because that’s what the English do when they’ve just broken out of military prison one jump ahead of murderous assassins from an alien death god cult, then survived being shot at by a main battle tank.”
Charles Stross (born 1964) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The sentiment sounded trite, but then didn’t most good sentiments sound trite? It was hard to make goodness – and good people – sound interesting. Yet the good were worthy of note, of course, because they battled and that battle was a great story, whereas the evil were evil because of moral laziness, or weakness, and that was ultimately a dull and uninteresting affair.”
Alexander McCall Smith (born 1948) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“America has realised today that its tanks, armies and Shia agents will not be able to end the battle with the mujahideen.”
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (1966–2006) first seen 2006 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in quotes The Irish Times (25th April 2006)
“It is a fit time to go to the drinking, With the skilful men, about art, And a hundred knots, the custom of the country, The shepherd of the districts, support of gates, Like going without a foot to battle.”
Taliesin (518–599) said by 599 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source