’Tis better to have fought and lost,
Than never to have fought at all. Arthur Hugh Clough, 1819-61, Peschiera, 1854
Say not the struggle naught availeth,
The labour and the wounds are vain,
The enemy faints not, nor faileth,
As things have been, things remain. Arthur Hugh Clough
Those who in quarrels interpose,
Must often wipe a bloody nose. John Gay, Fables, 1727
It is the end that crowns us, not the fight. Robert Herrick, The End, 1648
Fight the good fight with all thy might. John Samuel Bewley Monsell, 1863 hymn
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart. William Shakespeare, Henry V IV iii 35-36, King Harry
You should never have your best trousers on when you go out to fight for freedom and truth. Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People, 1882
Quit yourselves like men, and fight. I Samuel 4:9
Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loveth not aggressors.
And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution is worse than slaughter. And fight not with them at the Inviolable Place of Worship until they first attack you there, but if they attack you (there) then slay them. Such is the reward of disbelievers.
But if they desist, then lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah. But if they desist, then let there be no hostility except against wrong-doers.
The forbidden month for the forbidden month, and forbidden things in retaliation. And one who attacketh you, attack him in like manner as he attacked you. Observe your duty to Allah, and know that Allah is with those who ward off (evil). Koran 2:190-194
Let those fight in the way of Allah who sell the life of this world for the other. Whoso fighteth in the way of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious, on him We shall bestow a vast reward.
How should ye not fight for the cause of Allah and of the feeble among men and of the women and the children who are crying: Our Lord! Bring us forth from out this town of which the people are oppressors! Oh, give us from thy presence some protecting friend! Oh, give us from Thy presence some defender!
Those who believe do battle for the cause of Allah; and those who disbelieve do battle for the cause of idols. So fight the minions of the devil. Lo! the devil’s strategy is ever weak. Koran 4:74-76
Work hard for what you want because it won’t come to you without a fight. You have to be strong and courageous and know that you can do anything you put your mind to. If somebody puts you down or criticizes you, just keep on believing in yourself and turn it into something positive. Leah LaBelle
The fight for justice against corruption is never easy. It never has been and never will be. It exacts a toll on our self, our families, our friends, and especially our children. In the end, I believe, as in my case, the price we pay is well worth holding on to our dignity. Frank Serpico
The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people. Cesar Chavez
Don’t fight forces, use them. R Buckminster Fuller
If it is right for men to fight for their freedom, and God knows what the human race would be like today if men had not, since time began, fought for their freedom, then it is right for women to fight for their freedom and the freedom of the children they bear. Emmeline Pankhurst
Man, I love fights, man. This reminds me of the old days when we used to have rumbles. Rumble Fish 1983 starring Dennis Hopper & Mickey Rourke & Matt Dillon & Diane Lane & Nicolas Cage & William Smith & Tom Waits & Diana Scarwid & Vincent Spano et al, director Francis Ford Coppola, gangsta
Now you must prove yourself in mortal combat with a monster so terrifying, so awe-inspiring, so horrible, so soul-destroying that even I would hesitate to meet it face to face in hand to hand combat. Is that all right? Jabberwocky 1977 starring Michael Palin & Harry H Corbett & John le Mesurier & Warren Mitchell & Annette Badland & Max Wall & Deborah Fallender & Rodney Bewes & John Bird & Neil Innes & Bernard Bresslaw & Alexandra Dane & Brian Glover et al, director Terry Gilliam, King
I call on you to fight for your city. Fight with everything you have got, for the sake of your wives and your children, your mothers and your parents. Your arms are defending everything we have ever held dear, and all the generations that will come after us. Be proud and courageous! Be inventive and cunning! Your Gauleiter is amongst you. He and his colleagues will remain in your midst. His wife and children are here as well. He, who once captured the city with 200 men, will now use every means to galvanize the defense of the capital. The battle for Berlin must become the signal for the whole nation to rise up in battle. Joseph Goebbels
We need to talk about Bridget ... she got in a fight. Ray Donovan s3e10: Poker, Showtime 2015
Got in a fight with her. And I bit her – right …
Samantha: Then you know the taste – it lingers. Ray Donovan s6e6: A Girl Named Maria
One must always fight, ma’am. What else is there? Margaret starring Lindsay Duncan & Ian McDiarmid & Roger Allam & Michael Cochrane & Oliver Cotton & Philip Jackson & Robert Hardy & James Fox et al, director James Kent, Margaret to Queen, BBC 2009
It’s The Eye of the Tiger
It’s the thrill of The Fight!
Standing up to the challenge of your rival. Survivor, Eye of the Tiger, song 1982
Put ’em up. Put ’em up. Which one of you first? I’ll fight you both together if you want. The Wizard of Oz 1939 starring Judy Garland & Ray Bolger & Frank Morgan & Jack Haley & Bert Lahr & Billie Burke & Margaret Hamilton & Clara Blandick & Charley Grapewin & Terry the dog, director Victor Fleming, Lion
Remember this. I am prepared to fight. For eternity. Exodus: Gods and Kings 2014 starring Christian Bale & Joel Edgerton & Ben Kingsley & Sigourney Weaver & John Turturro & Aaron Paul & Maria Valverde & Indira Varma & Hiam Abbass & Kevork Malikyan & Anton Alexander
We’re dirty sons of bitches! We’d rather fucking fight! Mongol meeting chant
‘A fighter is a machine not a violin player.’ Kid Galahad 1937, cited Danny Leigh, Boxing at the Movies: Kings of the Ring, BBC 2016
We can destroy and kill to save ourselves and to be revenged. When we see their faces we become wild beasts. We turn into thugs and murderers. All Quiet on the Western Front 1979 starring Richard Thomas & Ernest Borgnine & Donald Pleasence & Ian Holm & Patricia Neal & Paul Mark Elliott & Dai Bradley & Matthew Evans & George Winter & Dominic Jephcott et al, director Delbert Mann
Does anybody know what we’re fighting for? ibid.
The only reason we’re fighting this was is because it’s useful to somebody. ibid.
Journalist: What are we fighting for?
Boy: Freedom. Why We Fight, 2005
Our government did not want the forensic question asked, What were their motives? ibid. commentator, re 9/11
We live here in the United States of Amnesia. ibid. Gore Vidal
We are the new Rome – that’s their strategy on 9/11. ibid. commentator
We are on the side of decency and democracy and liberty. ibid. Eisenhower
Today the United States spends more on defence than all the other discretionary parts of the federal budget combined. ibid. caption
It’s known as the revolving door and people cash in all the time. ibid. commentator
It’s basically economic colonialism. ibid.
A belief that the public doesn’t need to know. ibid. Dan Rather