Famous last words?

[Markas]

FAMOUS LAST WORDS?

Ever wondered what the last words of some of histories most important figures were? Here's some possibles-

Julius Caesar to wife- 'I've got a message from the Senate to go there as soon as possible. Apparently, they've made a cake for me!'

Hungarian Knights, 1241: 'Mongols? Smongols.'

Harold Godwinson at Hastings: 'Fine. I'm only looking up once. And only to prove it's a kestral, not a Hawk.'

Admiral Nelson to Hardy: 'A duck? Where?'

Jesus on the cross: 'I'm going to get my dad on you!'

Adolf Hitler, 1945: 'Jeez, those Ruskies really hold a grudge'

Abraham Lincoln: 'That play was terrible. At least things can't get any worse...'


Anybody have any possibles too?



ACTUAL FAMOUS LAST WORDS


General Armstrong Custer: 'Custer's luck! The biggest Indian Village on the Continent!' (Last reported words)

Civil War commander General Sedgewick: 'They couldn’t hit an elephant at this dist—' (Apparently, it was the elephants' day off)

Lawrence Oates to Captain Scott: 'I’m just going out. I may be some time…'

Bing Crosby: 'That was a great game of golf, fellers.'

Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia: 'Give back everything to....'

James Rodges, murderer, on his final request before the firing squad: 'Why yes -- a bulletproof vest.'

Socrates: 'Crito, I owe a cock to Asclepius; will you remember to pay the debt?' (Crito eventually realised Socrates was refering to poultry)

Lady Astor, First female member of Parliament: 'Am I dying or is this my birthday?' (Upon awaking to find herself surrounded by her entire family)

Julius Caesar, Roman dictator: 'και συ τεκνον;' (Kai su, teknon?, Greek for "Even you, my son?")—popularized as 'Et tu, Brute?' ("Even you, Brutus?") by Shakespeare.

Christine Chubbuck, American television news reporter: 'In keeping with Channel 40's policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts in living color, we bring you another first, an attempted suicide.' (shortly before shooting herself in the head during a live broadcast)

Winston Churchill: 'Everything is so boring.'

Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.: 'Never felt better.'

Elizabeth I, Queen of England: 'All my possessions for a moment of time.'

Thomas de Mahay Favras: 'I see that you have made three spelling mistakes' (upon being handed his official death sentence as he was led to the scaffold during the Reign of Terror)

Che Guevara: 'Just shoot, you coward. You are only killing a man!'

Alfred Jarry, French playwrite and absurdist: 'I am dying, please...bring me a toothpick.'

John Lennon: 'I'm shot!'

Louis XIV, King of France: 'Why do you weep? Did you think I was immortal?'

Karl Marx: "Go on, get out! Last words are for fools who haven't said enough!" (on his deathbed, to his housekeeper who had just asked if he had any last words)

Lauren Miller, actress: 'Life is like...'

Oscar Romero, Archbishop of El Salvador: 'May God have mercy on the assassins.' (After being shot while administering the Eucharist.)

George Sanders, actor: (Suicide note): 'Dear World, I am leaving because I am bored. I feel I have lived long enough. I am leaving you with your worries in this sweet cesspool. Good luck.' (Sanders' wife had died of cancer leaving him heartbroken)

Oscar Wilde, writer: 'My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or other of us has got to go.'

James Wolfe, general: 'What, do they run already? Then I die happy.'

The English writer H. H. Munro: 'Put that bloody cigarette out.' (killed moments later in the First World War by a sniper's bullet)

The grammarian Dominique Bouhours: 'I am about to--or I am going to--die. Either expression is used.'


And my personal favorite:

Vicomte de Turenne, Battle of salzbach, 1675: 'I did not mean to be killed today'


What last words would you impart? I'd go with either-

'The diamonds are hidden in the....urrrgh'
or
'Come closer...closer...SO LONG SUCKERS!'

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

Possible...
Roman Soldier at Teutoburg Forest: "Varus, do you smell something rank?

Marie Antoinette: Let them eat cake! And ice cream! And twizzlers! And cookies! No I'm seri--
French peasant 1: Wait, was she serious?
French peasant 2: Well whoever rules after her can't be that bad.

Gandalf: What kind of lame weapon is a whip?

[Last Roman]

Titus (Roman emperor 79-81)

on his deathbed: "I have made but one mistake..."

and then he died

[AndariusHaliusScipio]

My favorite actual last words are from General Thomas Jackson, in a pneumonia-induced delirium:

"Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees."

and Alexander's reported last words

"Kraterinos..." or "the Strongest...."

[Darkragnar]

These are Japanese Death Poems , traditionally spoken and written at the time of ones dieing and they reflect all the knowledge the Individual has gained in this life time.

Kuribayashi Tadamichi (1945)
Foe unvanquished, I won't perish in the field;
I'll be born again, to take up the halberd seven more times.

(General Tadamichi was in command of the Japanese forces defending Iwo Jima. On 17 March, 1945, Tadamichi telegraphed three poems, the one above included, just before he took 800 men and charged the enemy. "I'll be born again, to take up the halberd seven more times." This line is in reference to many poems written in the past, and was basically a national slogan proclaiming ones loyalty to the emperor. The poet was obviously expressing his desire to be a part of tradition.)

Toko (1795)

Death poems
are mere delusion-
death is death.

Kusunoki Masatsura
The story behind this poem begins like this. The samurai Kusunoki Masatsura had been commissioned by the Emperor to go into battle, the Emperor telling Kusunoki that he was trusted as his own elbows and thighs. Kusunoki was greatly moved by this and went with his troops to worship at the tomb of Go-Daigo. Here Kusunoki wrote a farewell poem on the temple door with an arrowhead.

I could not return, I presume,
So I will keep my name
Among those who are dead with bows.

Shortly after writing this poem, Kusunoki was killed in battle in the fateful last stand of his clan. The door, still bearing the poem, is preserved to this day at the Nyoirin-Ji temple.

Tokugawa Ieyasu
1542-1616

Whether one passes on or remains is all the same.
That you can take no one with you is the only difference.
Ah, how pleasant! Two awakenings and one sleep.
This dream of a fleeing world! The roseate hues of early dawn!


Toyotomi Hideyoshi
1536-1598

My life
came like dew
disappears like dew.
All of Naniwa
is dream after dream.

Uesugi Kenshin
1530-1578

Even a life-long prosperity is but one cup of sake;
A life of forty-nine years is passed in a dream;
I know not what life is, nor death.
Year in year out-all but a dream.
Both Heaven and Hell are left behind;
I stand in the moonlit dawn,
Free from clouds of attachment.


Ôuchi Yoshitaka
1507-1551

Both the victor
and the vanquished are
but drops of dew,
but bolts of lightning -
thus should we view the world.

[dragases1453]

Constantine XI Dragases, Last Byzantine Emperor, Before the last defense of COnstantinople on 29th May 1453:

"My Lords, my brothers, my sons the last honour of Christianity is on our hands!"

[Last Roman]

Constantine XI Dragases, Last Byzantine Emperor, Before the last defense of COnstantinople on 29th May 1453:

"My Lords, my brothers, my sons the last honour of Christianity is on our hands!"

another great quote from him

when Mehmed II offered him a position to rule Mistra (a city in Greece) he replied

"I would rather die than live an emperor without an empire"

not exactly last words, but a cool quote nonetheless.

[Icefrisco]

rasputin: so, is this your third or fourth try?

when samuel jackson dies: mother:wub:er!

on hearing the death of pablo escobar americans and columbians yelled: "Viva Columbia! Pablo Escobar is dead!"

thats my favorite. i dont know why it just sounds patriotic.

[therussian]

Che Guevara: 'Just shoot, you coward. You are only killing a man!'

That's a personal favourite of mine
I know you are here to kill me. Shoot, coward, for you are only going to kill a man.

Oh, so awesome.

Christine Chubbuck, American television news reporter: 'In keeping with Channel 40's policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts in living color, we bring you another first, an attempted suicide.' (shortly before shooting herself in the head during a live broadcast)

This one's kind of freaky....

[Farnan]

I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country - Captain Nathan Hale

Don't disturb my circles! - Archimedes

I am just going. Have me decently buried and do not let my body be into a vault in less than two days after I am dead. Do you understand me? - George Washington

I've always loved my wife, my children, and my grandchildren, and I've always loved my country. I want to go. God, take me. - Ike

[jackwei]

these words are famous and my fav

Admiral Horatio Nelson :- "Thank God I have done my duty."

[Slaxx Hatmen]

"Molon Labe!", "Come and get them!"-King Leonidas of Sparta at the battle of Thermopylae.

"There is nothing proper about what your going to do soldier. But please, do it properly."-Cicero at his assassination.

And now a more recent one:

"Is this the bravery of the Arabs?"-Saddam Hussein.

[Eastern Red]

Hi Darkragnar, your ancient Japanese historical knowledge is truly admirable. With your post, I managed to learn alot as I read along. A rep is the least I could give to show my appreciation.
BTW, I have this verse from the 3 kingdoms era by supreme commander Zhou Yu of Wu upon his final defeat by Zhuge Liang of Shu and it goes like this if my translation is right:
" since heaven created me then why must Liang be created at the same time "

[Darsh]

"France,tête,Armée,Josephine"

Napoléon

[Kythras]

"Yes but not too many" A Dutch Poet, his name escapes me

His wife had just asked if she should cook potatoes for dinner, he replied then suffered a heart attack and died on the spot...

[Ippius]

"I am still alive!"- Caligula after being fatally stabbed. (according to Tacitus)

[Mig el Pig]

Dieu me pardonnera, c'est son métier." (God will forgive me, it's his business.) (1856) - Heinrich Heine, German poet.

[Elohim]

Dieu me pardonnera, c'est son métier." (God will forgive me, it's his business.) (1856) - Heinrich Heine, German poet.

It's his job. Sorry for being picky, but it's his job, not his business.
Je m'excuse, mais quand-meme...

(Can't do accents with my pc)

Albert Einstein's last words - "?" who knows? He cried out in German, but his nurse was English and couldn't understand what he said, or repeat the phonetics.

[Markas]

Possibles-

King Arthur: 'Who'd have thought sleeping with my sister would have such dire consequences?'

Cleopatra: 'I knew Octavian letting me go first in a snake-hugging competition was a trick'