Quotes About Ephemerality

People lived as they had always done; there was no break between past and present. All that had happened in the past had washed away; there was always only the present. It was as though, as a result of some disturbance in the heavens, the early morning light was always receding into the darkness, and men lived in a perpetual dawn

Time worked unhurriedly, conscientiously. First the man was expelled from life, to reside instead in people's memories. Then he lost his right to residence in people's memories, sinking down into their subconscious minds and jumping out at someone only occasionally, like a jack-in-the-box, frightening them with the unexpectedness of his sudden, momentary appearances.

Such is time: everything passes, it alone remains; everything remains, it alone passes. And how swiftly and noiselessly it passes. Only yesterday you were sure of yourself, strong and cheerful, a son of the time. But now another time has come – and you don't even know it.

Así es el tiempo: todo pasa, sólo él permanece. Todo permanece, sólo el tiempo pasa. ¡Qué ligero se va, sin hacer ruido! Ayer mismo todavía confiabas en ti, alegre, rebosante de fuerzas, hijo del tiempo. Y hoy ha llegado un nuevo tiempo, pero tú, tú no te has dado cuenta.

Time is a transparent medium. People and cities arise out of it, move through it and disappear back into it. It is time that brings them and time that takes them away.

Nothing can be sadder or more profound than to see a thousand things for the first and last time.

Voir mille objets pour la première et pour la dernière fois, quoi de plus mélancolique et de plus profond ! Voyager, c'est naître et mourir à chaque instant.

Life was like that, full of quicksilver changes. Joy reappeared as unexpectedly as sunlight

Jie kariauja. Laikas buvo prabanga, kuria dabar jau niekas negal?jo girtis. Rytojus atrod? toks pat laikinas, kaip bu?inys tamsoje.

By the grace of God, may we all be vanishing stars.

The finest day i ever had was when tomorrow never came

Man denkt oft, die Liebe sei stärker als die Zeit. Aber immer ist die Zeit stärker als die Liebe.

De qué manera tan veloz, tan trágica, transcurría el tiempo! La felicidad era como aquellas nubes que cambiaban de apariencia a cada instante. Brillaban doradas, o se teñían de gris, sin permanecer más que un momento en el mismo estado. Las horas más radiantes pasan de largo veloces, como un capricho o como una broma.

I am one of billions. I am stardust gathered fleetingly into form. I will be ungathered. The stardust will go on to be other things someday and I will be free.

Death is permanent," said Less Ellen, "while flesh very much is not.

Ah! let us love, my Love, for Time is heartless, Be happy while you may!

Life is but sighs; and, when they cease, 'tis over.

Some lights were never meant to burn for long.

The light that burned twice as bright burned half as long.

How easy it was to lose everything you had always thought you'd have forever.

You will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not.

YOU WERE HERE says the silvery green light of time breathing in and out like any mortal

All time is mean young man. It takes and does not give, it rushes when you wish it would linger and drags when you wish is would fly. It flows sullenly, only in one direction, when it might take a thousand turns. You cannot get anything back once time has taken it. Time cheats and steals and lies and kills. If anyone could arrest it, they would have time behind bars faster than you can check your watch.

Like everything perfect, he set up a ferocious pain inside me -- a flickering, griping sort of pain, because nothing as marvelous as that is ever within reach, is it? Nothing as beautiful can ever last.