The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations Preface

I confused things with their names: that is belief.
‘Les Mots’ (1964) ‘Ècrire’
La vie humaine commence de l’autre côtè du dèsespoir.
Human life begins on the far side of despair.
‘Les Mouches’ (1943) act 3
Ma pensèe, c’est moi : voilá pourquoi je ne peux pas m’arrêter. J’existe par ce que je pense...et
je ne peux pas m’empêcher de penser.
My thought is me: that’s why I can’t stop. I exist by what I think...and I can’t prevent myself
from thinking.
‘La Nausèe’ (1938) ‘Lundi’ Je dèteste les victimes quand elles respectent leurs bourreaux.
I hate victims who respect their executioners.
‘Les Sèquestrès d’Altona’ (1960) act 1, sc. 1
Je me mèfie des incommunicables, c’est la source de toute violence.
I distrust the incommunicable: it is the source of all violence.
‘Qu’est-ce que la littèrature?’ in ‘Les Temps Modernes’ July 1947, p. 106
7.26 Siegfried Sassoon 1886-1967
If I were fierce, and bald, and short of breath,
I’d live with scarlet Majors at the Base,
And speed glum heroes up the line to death.
‘Base Details’ (1918)
I’d like to see a Tank come down the stalls,
Lurching to rag-time tunes, or ‘Home, sweet Home’,—
And there’d be no more jokes in Music-halls
To mock the riddled corpses round Bapaume.
‘Blighters’ (1917)
Does it matter?—losing your legs?...
For people will always be kind,
And you need not show that you mind
When the others come in after hunting
To gobble their muffins and eggs.
Does it matter?—losing your sight?...
There’s such splendid work for the blind;
And people will always be kind,
As you sit on the terrace remembering
And turning your face to the light.
‘Does it Matter?’ (1918)
Soldiers are citizens of death’s grey land,
Drawing no dividend from time’s tomorrows.