James Wood, comp. Dictionary of Quotations. 1899.
Seume
Betrügen und betrogen werden, / Nichts ist gewöhnlicher auf Erden—Nothing is more common on earth than to deceive and be deceived.
Der Erde Paradies und Hülle / Liegt in dem Worte “Weib”—Heaven and Hell on earth lie in the word “woman.”
Die Dämmerung ist das freundliche Licht der Liebenden—The gloaming is the light that befriends the wooer.
Die Schönheit ruhrt, doch nur die Anmuth sieget, / Und Unschuld nur behält den Preis—Beauty moves us, though only grace conquers us, and innocence alone retains the prize.
Die Tugend ohne Lohn ist doppelt schön—Virtue unrewarded is doubly beautiful.
Faulheit ist Dummheit des Körpers, und Dummheit Faulheit des Geistes—Sluggishness is stupidity of body, and stupidity sluggishness of spirit.
Gross ist, wer Feinde tapfer uberwand; / Doch grösser ist, wer sie gewonnen—Great is he who has bravely vanquished his enemies, but greater is he who has gained them.
He who makes claims (Ansprüche), shows by doing so that he has none to make.
Man ought always to have something which he prefers to life.
Meines Lebens Wunsch ist stiller Friede—The wish of my life is a tranquil peace.
Men still are what they always have been, a medley (Gemisch) of strength and weakness, often obedient to reason, and oftener to passion; so have they come down the stream of time for six thousand years, and mostly in such shape as the moment has fashioned them.
Musik ist der Schlüssel vom weiblichen Herzen—Music is the key to the female heart.
Reisst den Menschen aus seinen Verhältnissen; und was er dann ist, nur das ist er—Tear man out of his outward circumstances; and what he then is, that only is he.
The wise man ought to despise glory, but not honour. Honour is but seldom where glory is, and glory almost more rarely still where honour is.
Virtue that goes unrewarded is doubly beautiful.
Weh dem Lande, wo man nicht mehr singt—Woe to the land where the voice of song has gone dumb.
Wer den Tod fürchtet, hat das Leben verloren—He who fears death is forfeit of life.
Who fears death forfeits life.
Wo innen Sklaverei ist, wird sie von aussen bald kommen—Where there is slavery in the heart, it will soon show itself in the outward conduct.
Wo man singet, lass dich ruhig nieder, / Ohne Furcht, was man am Lande glaubt; / Wo man singet wird kein Mensch beraubt; / Bösewichter haben keine Lieder—Where people sing, there quietly settle, never fearing what may be the belief of the people of the land. Where people sing, nobody will be robbed. Bad people have no songs.