ABOUT THAT QUOTE

Readers may recall that I asked for your help in tracking down a quote.  In one of my entries I noted the famous line, which is phrased in a variety of ways, that the cemeteries of the world are filled with indispensable men.  In every reference I checked, it was attributed to DeGaulle.  But reader Mathieu Dutour Sikiric, writing from Croatia, offered this:

"Les cimetières sont pleins de gens irremplaçables, qui ont tous été
remplacés."
   Georges Clemenceau

"Cemetery are full of indispensible men, who all have been replaced".  

Mr. Sikiric added that he could find nothing similar for DeGaulle.

Was it Clemenceau rather than DeGaulle?  Other readers contributed.  Larry Patty wrote this from Tennessee:

A book I have called The Military Quotation Book gives DeGaulle the credit. 1990 St. Martins Press ISBN 0-312-04350-3. It doesn't give attribution however.

Gary Black, in Indiana, gave us this:

As others may confirm, the origin of this quotation is old Arab proverb and appears to be usually cited with Clemenceau.

This may or may not be the entire proverb (French translation was all I could find). I am unable to confirm the authenticity:

"Au pays des boiteux, quand le silence n’est pas gênant Chacun pense qu’il marche droit Celui qui confesse son ignorance la montre une fois ; Celui qui essaye de la cacher la montre plusieurs fois Il vaut mieux être le dernier des lions que le premier des renards Quand on suit quelqu’un de bon, on apprend à devenir bon ; Quand on suit un tigre, on apprend à mordre Respecte en toute femme, celle qui t’a porté Seul l’ignorant se fâche, le sage comprend Ce qui est passé a fui ; Ce que tu espères est absent ; Mais le présent est à toi La vieillesse, c’est l’hiver pour les ignorants, Et le temps des moissons pour les sages On n’est jamais puni pour avoir fait mourir de rire Le borgne n’a qu’un oeil, mais il pleure quand même Vous ne pouvez pas empêcher les oiseaux du malheur de voler au-dessus de vos têtes, Mais vous pouvez les empêcher de faire leurs nids dans vos cheveux Que celui qui n’a pas traversé ne se moque pas de celui qui s’est noyé Les cimetières sont remplis de gens qui se croyaient indispensables. La mort d’une bonne action, c’est d’en parler. "

Another old Arab proverb: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Enjoy your blog.

A D. Petitmeng attributed the saying to a French humorist:

"Les cimetières sont plein de gens irremplaçables."
Alphonse Allais  1854-1905  french humorist
 Best.
 Dominique Petitmengin

The similarity in name between the person quoted and the writer leads me to wonder if there's a family connection.  I've written to ask. 

Andy B. makes this point, which may explain why my English references quoted DeGaulle:

Interestingly, when one Googles the phrase "cemeteries are full of," one gets dozens of references to De Gaulle.

But if one searches for the full quote as shown, in French, one appears to only find Clemenceau.

The replies convince me that Clemenceau must have gotten there first, at least among statesmen, but that others said similar things much earlier.  This subject is still open.  Feel free to contribute at comments@urgentagenda.com  

Posted on January 29, 2008.