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Quotes by Victor Hugo
Pope's trans. A queen devoid of beauty is not queen; She needs the royalty of beauty's mien.— filed under Beauty
Swallows Homeward Fly. I was always a lover of soft-winged things. C.— filed under Benevolence
King of the peak and glacier, King of the cold, white scalps, He lifts his head at that close tread, The eagle of the Alps.— filed under Birds-Dove
The clouds, -the only birds that never sleep.— filed under Clouds
And the dream that our mind had sketched in haste Shall others continue, but never complete. For none upon earth can achieve his scheme; The best as the worst are futile here: We wake at the self-same point of the dream, - All is here begun, and finished elsewhere.— filed under Dreams
Dark Error's other hidden side is truth.— filed under Error
A City Night Piece. You'll see that, since our fate is ruled by chance, Each man, unknowing, great, Should frame life so that at some future hour Fact and his dreamings meet.— filed under Futurity
Subjects. Art and Life. We declare to you that the earth has exhausted its contingent of master-spirits. Now for decadence and general closing. We must make up our minds to it. We shall have no more men of genius.— filed under Genius
God whose gifts in gracious flood Unto all who seek are sent, Only asks you to be good And is content.— filed under Goodness
Then press my lips, where plays a flame of bliss,- A pure and holy love-light, and forsake The angel for the woman in a kiss, At once I wis, My soul will wake!— filed under Kisses
Pope's trans. What's our baggage? Only vows, Happiness, and all our care, And the flower that sweetly shows Nestling lightly in your hair.— filed under Love
Honeymoon. The stars were glittering in the heaven's dusk meadows, Far west, among those flowers of the shadows, The thin, clear crescent lustrous over her, Made Ruth raise question, looking through the bars Of heaven, with eyes half-oped, what God, what comer Unto the harvest of the eternal summer, Had flung his golden hook down on the field of stars.— filed under Monuments
For, to make deserts, God, who rules mankind, Begins with kings, and ends the work by wind.— filed under Ruin
Pope's trans. For sight is woman-like and shuns the old. (Ah! he can see enough, when years are told, Who backwards looks.)— filed under Sight
Pope's trans. The production of souls is the secret of unfathomable depth.— filed under Sorrow
When, like an Emir of tyrannic power, Sirius appears, and on the horizon black Bids countless stars pursue their mighty track.— filed under Stars
Like our dawn, merely a sob of light.— filed under Twilight
Men are still men. The despot's wickedness Comes of ill teaching, and of power's excess, - Comes of the purple he from childhood wears, Slaves would be tyrants if the chance were theirs.— filed under Tyranny
Bryant's trans. Earth was the meadow, he the mower strong.— filed under War
Madame, bear in mind That princes govern all things-save the wind.— filed under Wind
God in his harmony has equal ends For cedar that resists and reed that bends; For good it is a woman sometimes rules, Holds in her hand the power, and manners, schools, And laws, and mind; succeeding master proud, With gentle voice and smiles she leads the crowd, The somber human troop.— filed under Woman