My head is bloody, but unbowed.

What it means

Chance hits hard and leaves marks. The point is not to avoid the blows but to refuse to bow under them. Hurt is allowed; surrender is not.

The source

"My head is bloody, but unbowed." William Ernest Henley said it in Invictus (Echoes IV, written 1875). Written in English: Poems, 1898; first collected in A Book of Verses, 1888.

"Under the bludgeonings of chance / My head is bloody, but unbowed."

Original English (Poems, 1898; first collected in A Book of Verses, 1888), Invictus (Echoes IV, written 1875). Text read at gutenberg.org.

Who said it

William Ernest Henley (1849–1903). English poet and editor who lost a leg to tuberculosis as a young man. He wrote Invictus in a hospital bed in 1875.

Questions

What does "My head is bloody, but unbowed." mean?

Chance hits hard and leaves marks. The point is not to avoid the blows but to refuse to bow under them. Hurt is allowed; surrender is not.

Who said "My head is bloody, but unbowed."?

William Ernest Henley (1849–1903). Source: Invictus (Echoes IV, written 1875).

What is the original wording?

Under the bludgeonings of chance / My head is bloody, but unbowed (Original English (Poems, 1898; first collected in A Book of Verses, 1888)). Written in English: Poems, 1898; first collected in A Book of Verses, 1888.

Is "My head is bloody, but unbowed." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"My head is bloody, but unbowed." (William Ernest Henley, Invictus (Echoes IV, written 1875), trans. Original English (Poems, 1898; first collected in A Book of Verses, 1888)). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/my-head-is-bloody-but-unbowed