Quotes from Goethe

Lo que importa más nunca debe de estar a merced de lo que importa menos.

How clearly I have seen my condition, yet how childishly I have acted. How clearly I still see it, and yet show no sign of improvement.

see how all our energies are wasted in providing for mere necessities, which gain have no further end than to prolong a wretched existence; and then that all our satisfaction concerning certain subjects of investigation ends in nothing better than a passive resignation

nothing is more frightful than to see ignorance in action

Now to night the world surrenders, Sacred love joins star to star; Little sparkles, greater splendours, Glitter near and gleam from far.

Two souls alas! are dwelling in my breast

Tudo nessa vida acaba em bagatela e aquele que, para agradar aos outros se mata trabalhando por dinheiro, honras ou o que for, sem que a isso o mova sua própria paixão ou necessidade, é, com certeza, um tolo.

Encourage the beautiful, for the useful encourages itself.

Mas tinha mesmo de ser assim, que aquilo que perfa a felicidade do homem também seja a fonte de sua miséria?

Está rodeado de pessoas esquisitas, as quais realmente não compreendo. Não têm aparência de espertalhões, nem de gente honesta. Às vezes parecem-me honestas, mas não consigo confiar nelas.

Wenn die Blattläuse auf den Rosenzweigen sitzen und sich hübsch dick und grün gesogen haben, dann kommen die Ameisen und saugen ihnen den filtrierten Saft aus den Leibern. Und so geht's weiter, und wir haben's so weit gebracht, daß oben immer an einem Tage mehr verzehrt wird, als unten in einem beigebracht werden kann.

Sobald du dir vertraust, sobald weißt du zu leben.

Viewed from the heights of reason, all life looks like some malignant disease and the world like a madhouse.

Nothing is so hard to bear as a train of happy days

Aria di primavera, perché mi desti? Tu lusinghi e dici: io do in rugiada gocciole di cielo. Ma il tempo del mio sfiorire è presso, vicina è la bufera che abbatte la mia fronda.

Gegner glauben uns zu wiederlegen, wenn sie ihre meinung wiederholen und auf die unsrige nicht achten.

What an agreeable toy! A disc on a string, I unwind it, Casting it out of my hand, and it rewinds in a trice.

If you had swum across the furthest ocean And seen the vastness of infinity Though dread of death might seize you, you'd still see The rolling waves in never-ceasing motion You'd still see something: Schools of dolphins swimming Across the green and placid waters, skimming The clouds, the sun and the moon, stars overhead - You will see nothing in that void all round You will not hear your footsteps where you tread Beneath your feet, you'll feel no solid ground

Un désir oublié, qui pourtant veut renaître, Vient, dans sa longue paix, secouer mon esprit ; Mais, inarticulés, mes nouveaux chants peut-être Ne sont que ceux d'un luth où la bise frémit. Ah ! je sens un frisson : par de nouvelles larmes, Le trouble de mon cœur soudain s'est adouci. De mes jours d'autrefois renaissent tous les charmes, Et ce qui disparut pour moi revit ici.

All theory is gray, but the tree of life, my friend, is green.

Tout ce qui n'a pas été dit ni fait le jour erre la nuit dans notre poitrine.

Laßt mir Luft, daß ich reden kann!

L'héritage qui t'est venu de ton ancêtre, Il te faut l'acquérir pour le mieux posséder. Conserver sans besoin, c'est se donner un maître Et rien, hors du présent, ne peut nous profiter.

None but the lonely heart understands my sorrows. Alone and torn from all joy, I gaze into the firmament, into the distant space. The one who loves me, who knows me, is nowhere near. I am dizzy and my insides are aflame. None but the lonely heart knows how I suffer.