Final answer:
The phrase "like pygmies we fight with cranes" means engaging in futile conflicts. It is a metaphor that compares two unequal entities in battle.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phrase "like pygmies we fight with cranes" means engaging in futile conflicts. This phrase is a metaphor that compares two unequal entities, pygmies and cranes, in a battle. Just like pygmies would have little chance of winning against cranes due to their size difference, engaging in a conflict that is futile and has little chance of success is being conveyed.