James Wood, comp. Dictionary of Quotations. 1899.
Bodenstedt
A grey eye is a sly eye; a brown one indicates a roguish humour; a blue eye expresses fidelity; while the sparkling of a dark eye is like the ways of Providence, always a riddle.
Auf dem Grund des Glaubenmeeres / Liegt die Perle der Erkenntniss; / Heil dem Taucher, der sie findet—At the bottom of the faith-sea lies the pearl of knowledge; happy the diver that finds it.
Aus derselben Ackerkrume / Wächst das Unkraut wie die Blume / Und das Unkraut macht sich breit—Out of the same garden-mould grows the weed as the flower, and the weed flaunts itself abroad.
Das Unglück kann die Weisheit nicht, Doch Weisheit kann das Unglück tragen—Misfortune cannot endure wisdom, but wisdom can endure misfortune.
Der Rose süsser Duft genügt, / Man braucht sie nicht zu brechen / Und wer sich mit dem Duft begnügt / Den wird ihr Dorn nicht stechen—The sweet scent of the rose suffices; one needs not break it off, and he who is satisfied therewith will not be stung by the thorn.
Der Weise kann des Mächtigen Gunst entbehren, / Doch nicht der Mächtige des Weisen Lehren—The wise man can dispense with the favour of the mighty, but not the mighty man with the wisdom of the wise.
Des Zornes Ende ist der Reue Anfang—The end of anger is the beginning of repentance.
Die Blumen zu pflegen, / Das Unkraut zu tilgen, / Ist Sache des Gärtners—The gardener’s business is to root out the weeds and tend the flowers.
Die Milde ziemt dem Weibe, / Dem Manne ziemt die Rache!—Mercy becomes the woman; avengement, the man.
Die Sorgen zu bannen, / (Das Unkraut des Geistes), den Kummer zu scheuchen, / Die Schmerzen zu lindern, / Ist Sache des Sängers—To banish cares (the wild crop of the spirit), to chase away sorrow, to soothe pain, is the business of the singer.
Gewöhne dich, da stets der Tod dir dräut, / Dankbar zu nehmen, was das Leben beut—Accustom thyself, since death ever threatens thee, to accept with a thankful heart whatever life offers thee.
He does not deserve wine who drinks it as water.
He who is suave with all (lieblich thun mit allen will) gets on with none: he pleases no one who tries to please thousands.
In the face of every human being his history stands plainly written, his innermost nature steps forth to the light; yet they are the fewest who can read and understand.
It is a delusion (Wahn) to suppose that adversity (Unglück) makes man better. As well believe that the rust makes the knife sharp, dirt promotes purity, and mud clarifies the stream.
Kein Mensch ergründet sein Verhängniss—No man ever fathoms the mystery of his fate.
Keinen Glauben hat die Liebe / Als den Glauben an sich selber!—Love has no faith but faith in itself.
Langsam nur im Menschengeiste / Reift das Saatkorn der Erkenntniss, / Doch die Blumen wachsen schnell—The seed-grain of knowledge ripens but slowly in the spirit of man, yet the flowers grow fast.
Mitgefühl erweckt Vertrauen; / Und Vertrauen ist der Schlüssel / Der des Herzens Pforte öffnet—Sympathy awakens confidence, and confidence is the key which unlocks the doors of the heart.
Never let Fortune be thy mistress, nor Misfortune thy maid.
Nicht immer am besten erfahren ist, / Wer am ältesten an Jahren ist, / Und wer am meisten gelitten hat, / Nicht immer die besten Sitten hat!—He who is oldest in years is not always the best experienced, and he who has suffered most has not always the best morals.
Nur eine Weisheit führt zum Ziele, / Doch ihrer Sprüche giebt es viele—Only one wisdom leads to the goal, though the proverbs of it are many.
Nur wer sich recht des Lebens freut, / Trägt leichter, was es Schlimmes beut—Only he who enjoys life aright finds it easier to bear the evils of it.
Oft zum Dichter macht die Liebe; / Selbst ein Wunder, zeugt sie Wunder—Love often makes a poet; herself a wonder, she works wonders.
Sammle dich zu jeglichem Geschafte, / Nie zersplittre deine Kräfte—Gather thyself up for every task, never dissipate (lit. split up) thy powers.
Schlechtes sucht mit Gutem Streit—Bad keeps up a strife with good.
See thou explain the infinite through the finite, and the unintelligible only through the intelligible, and not inversely.
Sein Glaube ist so gross; dass, wenn er fällt, / Glaubt er: gefallen sei die ganze Welt—His faith is so great that if it falls, he believes the whole world has fallen.
Sprich nicht von Zeit, sprich nicht von Raum, / Denn Raum und Zeit sind nur ein Traum, / Ein schwerer Traum, den nur vergisst, / Wer durch die Liebe glücklich ist—Speak not of time, speak not of space, for space and time are but a dream, a heavy dream, which he who is happy in love only forgets.
Stets zu spät kommt gute Kunde, / Schlechte Kunde zu frühe—Good news comes always too late; bad, always too soon.
The gardener’s business is to tend the flowers and root out the weeds.
The oldest in years is not always the most experienced, and he who has suffered most has not always the best manners.
The seed of knowledge ripens but slowly in the mind, but the flowers grow quickly.
The wise man can dispense with the favour of the mighty, but the mighty cannot dispense with the teaching of the wise.
The wise man does not grasp at what is far off in order to find what is near, and his hand does not grasp at the stars in order to kindle light.
The wise man must go to the foolish, else would his wisdom go for nought, since the foolish never come to the wise.
To banish care, scare away sorrow, and soothe pain is the business of the poet, or singer (Sänger).
To give the world more than it gives us, to love it more than it loves us, and never to make suit for its applause, ensures a peaceful life and a happy departure.
To nurse the flowers, to root up the weeds, is the business of the gardener.
Was man einmal ist, das muss man ganz sein—What we are at any moment we should be entirely.
Wer mit sich selber eins, ist eins mit Gott—He who is one with himself is one with God.
When I strove after wisdom I appeared foolish to fools, and wise when I lived like them. The fool only esteems himself wise.
Wie das Auge, hat das Herz / Seine Sprache ohne Worte—The heart, like the eye, has its speech without words.
Zerstörend ist des Lebens Lauf, / Stets frisst ein Thier das andre auf—Destructive is the course of life; ever one animal eats up another.