John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
6481 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 1807-1882 John Bartlett
| NUMBER: | 6481 |
| AUTHOR: | Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882) |
| QUOTATION: | Art is long, and time is fleeting, 1 And our hearts, though stout and brave, Still like muffled drums are beating Funeral marches to the grave. 2 |
| ATTRIBUTION: | A Psalm of Life. |
| Note 1. See Chaucer, page 6. Art is long, life is short.—Goethe: Wilhelm Meister, vii. 9. Hippocrates is supposed to have originated this saying which is better known in Latin: Ars longa, vita brevis est. [back] |
| Note 2. Our lives are but our marches to the grave.—Beaumont and Fletcher: The Humorous Lieutenant, act. iii. sc. 5. [back] |