Quote#World
I pondered all these things, and how men fight and lose the battle,…
Quote byWilliam Morris · 1834–1896
Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: A Dream of John Ball (1886), Ch. 4: The Voice of John Ball.
English (original)
I pondered all these things, and how men fight and lose the battle, and the thing that they fought for comes about in spite of their defeat, and when it comes turns out not to be what they meant, and other men have to fight for what they meant under another name.
— William Morris
More from William Morris
Now such an one for daughter Creon had As maketh wise men fools and young men mad.
O thrush, your song is passing sweet But never a song that you have sung, Is half so sweet as thrushes sang When my dear Love and I were young.
Wert thou more fickle than the restless sea, Still should I love thee, knowing thee for such.
The majesty That from man's soul looks through his eager eyes.
I know a little garden-close Set thick with lily and red rose, Where I would wander if I might From dewy dawn to dewy night, And have one with me wandering.
From out the throng and stress of lies, From out the painful noise of sighs, One voice of comfort seems to rise: "It is the meaner part that dies."