“What men have done can still be done
And shall be done to-day.”
The Song of Abu Klea, reported in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919).
“Now a' is done that men can do,
And a' is done in vain.”
It Was A' for Our Rightfu' King, st. 2
Johnson's The Scots Musical Museum (1787-1796)
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Robert Burns114
Scottish poet and lyricist 1759–1796Related quotes
“It is pointless to do with more what can be done with fewer.”
Frustra fit per plura, quod potest fieri per pauciora.
William of Ockham (1285–1349) medieval philosopher and theologian
Summa Totius Logicae, i. 12, cited in "Ockham's Razor" by Paul Newall at Galilean Library (25 June 2005) http://www.galilean-library.org/manuscript.php?postid=43832
“I want to do everything in the world that can be done.”
Fanny Kemble (1809–1893) English actress and writer
Journal of a Residence in America, entry for September 11, 1832 (1835).
“Anything worth doing can be done by someone else.”
Ron English (1959) American artist
Ron English's Fauxlosophy: Volume 2 (2022)
“Great things are done when men and mountains meet;
This is not done by jostling in the street.”
William Blake (1757–1827) English Romantic poet and artist
Great Things Are Done
1800s, Poems from Blake's Notebook (c. 1807-1809)
“When a thing's done, it's done, and if it's not done right, do it differently next time.”
Arthur Ransome book Swallowdale
Swallowdale (Chapter 8), 1931
“I have done this to show what an Englishman can do.”
Robert Falcon Scott (1868–1912) Royal Navy officer and explorer
Note found on his corpse; quoted in Bruce Chatwin, What am I Doing Here?
“The work of the eyes is done. Go now and do the heart-work on the images imprisoned within you.”
Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926) Austrian poet and writer
Wendung (Turning Point), as translated by Stephen Mitchell
“Do reasons matter when there's nothing that can be done to change things.”
Cassandra Clare book Clockwork Angel
Source: Clockwork Angel