Best 46 quotes of Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra on MyQuotes

Ah gospodine! - reći će sinovica; - naredite vi mirne duše da se i te knjige spale kao i druge, jer dok moj gospodar stric ozdravi od viteške bolesti, ne bi bilo čudo da njega, ako on uščita te knjige, spopadne želja da se prometne u pastira i krene po šumama i livadama svirajući i pjevajući; ili, što je još gore, da postane pjesnik, a to je, kako vele, neizlječiva i prijelazna bolest.

All I know is that while I’m asleep, I’m never afraid, and I have no hopes, no struggles, no glories — and bless the man who invented sleep, a cloak over all human thought, food that drives away hunger, water that banishes thirst, fire that heats up cold, chill that moderates passion, and, finally, universal currency with which all things can be bought, weight and balance that brings the shepherd and the king, the fool and the wise, to the same level. There’s only one bad thing about sleep, as far as I’ve ever heard, and that is that it resembles death, since there’s very little difference between a sleeping man and a corpse.

A Man Without Honor is Worse than Dead.

And as the wicked are always ungrateful, and necessity leads to evil doing, and immediate advantage overcomes all considerations of the future, Ginés, who was neither grateful nor well-principled, made up his mind to steal Sancho Panza's ass.

Avventurose età e benedette quelle che non seppero la spaventevole furia di queste indemoniate macchine dell'artiglieria, l'inventore delle quali io ritengo che sia nell'inferno a ricevere il guiderdone del suo diabolico ritrovato, per mezzo del quale fece sì che un ignobile e codardo braccio possa toglier la vita a un prode cavaliere.

Besides, if truth be told, what I eat, even if it’s bread and onion, tastes better to me in my corner without fancy or respectful manners, than a turkey would at other tables where I have to chew slowly , not drink too much, wipe my mouth a lot, not sneeze or cough if I feel like it, or do other things that come with solitude and freedom.

...but once more I say do as you please, for we women are born to this burden of being obedient to our husbands, though they be blockheads

Cada uno es tal como Dios le hizo, y aún peor muchas veces".

Cuando el valiente huye, la chuperchería está descubierta.

Don Quixote did not sleep at all that night but thought of his lady Dulcinea, in order to conform to what he had read in his books of knights spending many sleepless nights in groves and meadows, turning all their thoughts to memories of their ladies.

Don't you be worried or annoyed, Sancho, about any comments you hear, or there will never be an end to them. Keep a safe conscience and let people say what they like: trying to still gossips' tongues is like putting up doors in open fields. If the governor leaves office rich they say he's a thief, and if he leaves it poor they say he's a milksop and a fool.

Dulcinea del Toboso es la más hermosa mujer del mundo, y yo el más desdichado caballero de la tierra, y no es bien que mi flaqueza defraude esta verdad. Aprieta, caballero, la lanza, y quítame la vida, pues me has quitado la honra.

En resolución, él se enfrascó tanto en su lectura, que se le pasaban las noches leyendo de claro en claro, y los días de turbio en turbio, y así, del poco dormir y del mucho leer, se le secó el cerebro, de manera que vino a perder el juicio. Llenósele la fantasía de todo aquello que leía en los libros, así de encantamientos, como de pendencias, batallas, desafíos, heridas, requiebros, amores, tormentas y disparates imposibles, y asentósele de tal modo en la imaginación que era verdad toda aquella máquina de aquellas soñadas invenciones que leía, que para él no había otra historia más cierta en el mundo.

En un lugar de la Mancha, de cuyo nombre no quiero acordarme, no ha mucho tiempo que vivía un hidalgo de los de lanza en astillero, adarga antigua, rocín flaco y galgo corredor. Una olla de algo más vaca que carnero, salpicón las más noches, duelos y quebrantos los sábados, lentejas los viernes, algún palomino de añadidura los domingos, conmuían las tres partes de su hacienda. El resto della concluían sayo de velarte, calzas de velludo para las fiestas, con sus pantuflos de los mesmo, y los días de entresemana se honraba con su vellorí de lo más fino.

Finally, from so little sleeping and so much reading, his brain dried up and he went completely out of his mind.

He got himself dressed at last, and then, slowly, for he was sorely bruised and could not go fast, he proceeded to the stable, followed by all who were present, and going up to Dapple embraced him and gave him a loving kiss on the forehead, and said to him, not without tears in his eyes, "Come along, comrade and friend and partner of my toils and sorrows; when I was with you and had no cares to trouble me except mending your harness and feeding your little carcass, happy were my hours, my days, and my years; but since I left you, and mounted the towers of ambition and pride, a thousand miseries, a thousand troubles, and four thousand anxieties have entered into my soul;

...he spent whole days and nights over his books; and thus with little sleeping and much reading his brains dried up to such a degree that he lost the use of his reason.

I do not insist," answered Don Quixote, "that this is a full adventure, but it is the beginning of one, for this is the way adventures begin.

If one were to reply that those who compose these books write them as fictions, and therefore are not obliged to consider the fine points of truth, I should respond that the more truthful the fiction, the better it is, and the more probable and possible, the more pleasing. Fictional tales must engage the minds of those who read them, and by restraining exaggeration and moderating impossibility, they enthrall the spirit and thereby astonish, captivate, delight, and entertain, allowing wonder and joy to move together at the same pace; none of these things can be accomplished by fleeing verisimilitude and mimesis, which together constitute perfection in writing.

I kako ovaj tvoj spis ne ide ni za čim drugim nego da uništi ugled i vlast koju i među svijetom i među svjetinom uživaju viteške knjige, ne treba ti prosjačiti sentencije od filozofa, rečenice iz Svetog pisma, priče od pjesnika, govore od retora, čudesa od svetaca, nego nastoj da ti u knjizi budu krepke, valjane i dobro probrane riječi, pa da ti pričanje i rečenice poteku zvučno i ugodno, koliko god možeš, znaš i voliš, a da misli svoje iskazuješ ne brkajući ih i ne zamračujući. Nastoj i o tome da se čitajući tvoju historiju melankolik nasmije, smješljivac da puca od smijeha, priprostomu da ne bude na dosadu, razborit čovjek neka se divi invenciji, ozbiljan neka je ne odvrgne, a umnik neka je svagda hvali. Sve u sve, upni da razoriš loše osnovanu zgradu tih viteških knjiga što ih mnogi mrze a još brojniji hvale; ako to postigneš, nisi postigao malenkost.

I'm a peaceful man, sir, meek and mild, and I can overlook any insult, because I've got a wife to support and children to bring up . . . In no way am I going to draw my sword against anyone, peasant or knight, and I hereby, before God my Maker, forgive all affronts that anybody ever has offered me or will offer me, whether the person who has offered them, offers them, or will offer them is of high or low birth, rich or poor, a gentleman or a commoner, not excepting any estate or condition whatsoever.

I’m from the lineage of the Panzas, and they’re all stubborn, and if they say odds once, odds it’ll be, even if it’s evens, no matter what anybody says.

In any case, Cide Hamete Benengeli was a very careful historian, and very accurate in all things, as can be clearly seen in the details he relates to us, for although they are trivial and inconsequential, he does not attempt to pass over them in silence; his example could be followed by solemn historians who recount actions so briefly and succinctly that we can barely taste them, and leave behind in the inkwell, through carelessness, malice, or ignorance, the most substantive part of the work.

...in the worst of circumstances, the hypocrite who pretends to be good does less harm than the public sinner.

In this strain did Sancho bewail himself, and his ass listened to him, but answered him never a word, such was the distress and anguish the poor beast found himself in. At length, after a night spent in bitter moanings and lamentations, day came, and by its light Sancho perceived that it was wholly impossible to escape out of that pit without help, and he fell to bemoaning his fate and uttering loud shouts to find out if there was anyone within hearing; but all his shouting was only crying in the wilderness, for there was not a soul anywhere in the neighbourhood to hear him, and then at last he gave himself up for dead. Dapple was lying on his back, and Sancho helped him to his feet, which he was scarcely able to keep; and then taking a piece of bread out of his alforjas which had shared their fortunes in the fall, he gave it to the ass, to whom it was not unwelcome, saying to him as if he understood him, "With bread all sorrows are less.

I only understand that while I’m sleeping I have no fear, or hope, or trouble, or glory; blessed be whoever invented sleep, the mantle that covers all human thought...

I swear to hold my tongue about it till the end of your worship's days, and God grant I may be able to let it out tomorrow

Marcela: Hízome el cielo, según vosotros decís, hermosa, y de tal manera, que, sin ser poderosos a otra cosa, a que me améis os mueve mi hermosura, y por el amor que me mostráis, decís, y aun queréis, que esté yo obligada a amaros. Yo conozco, con el natural entendimiento que Dios me ha dado, que todo lo hermosos es amable; mas no alcanzo que, por razón de ser amado, esté obligado lo que es amado por hermoso a amar a quien le ama.

No hay memoria a quien el tiempo no acabe, ni dolor que muerte no le consuma.

Not with whom you are born, but with whom you are bred.

¡Oh don Quijote dichoso! ¡Oh Dulcinea famosa! ¡Oh Sancho Panza gracioso! Todos juntos y cada uno de por sí viváis siglos infinitos, para gusto y general pasatiempo de los vivientes.

Quem não tenciona satisfazer não regateia condições no contratar.

(...) rest content and satisfied that as you are caught in the noose of love it is one of worth and merit that has taken you, and one that has not only the the four S's that they say true lovers ought to have, but a complete alphabet; only listen to me and you will see how I can repeat it by rote. He is to my eyes and thinking, Amiable, Brave, Courteous, Distinguished, Elegant, Fond, Gay, Honorable, Illustrious, Loyal, Manly, Noble, Open, Polite, Quickwitted, Rich, and the S's according to the saying, and then Tender, Veracious: X does not suite him, for it is a rough letter; Y has been given already; and Z Zealous for your honour.

Se as minhas feridas não resplandecem aos olhos de quem as mira, são estimadas, pelo menos, por aqueles que sabem onde se ganharam; que o soldado melhor parece morto na batalha, do que livre na fuga: e tanto sinto isto que digo, que, se agora me propusessem e facilitassem um impossível, antes quisera ter estado naquela peleja prodigiosa, do que são das minhas feridas sem lá me ter achado. As cicatrizes que o soldado ostenta no rosto e no peito são estrelas que guiam os outros ao céu da honra, e ao desejar justo louvor; e convém advertir que se não escreve com as cãs, mas sim com o entendimento, que costuma aperfeiçoar-se com os anos.

Seine Ehre kann auch der Arme behalten, nicht aber der Schlechte.

-Señor- respondió Sancho-, que el retirar no es huir, ni el esperar es cordura, cuando el peligro sobrepuja a la esperanza, y de sabios es guardarse hoy para mañana, y no aventurarse todo en un día.

Siempre deja la ventura una puerta abierta en las desdichas, para dar remedio a ellas.

The greatest madness a man can be guilty of in this life, is to let himself die outright, without being slain by any person whatever, or destroyed by any other weapon than the hands of melancholy

the princess will love me so much despite her father that he, knowing full well that I am the son of a water-carrier, will accept me as her lord and husband; if he does not, this is where abducting her and taking her wherever I choose comes in, for either time or death will put an end to her parents' anger.

The reason for the unreason to which my reason turns so weakens my reason that with reason I complain of thy beauty. And also when he read:…the heavens on high divinely heighten thy divinity with the stars and make thee deserving of the deserts thy greatness deserves. With these words and phrases the poor gentleman lost his mind, and he spent sleepless nights trying to understand them and extract their meaning, which Aristotle himself, if he came back to life for only that purpose, would not have been able to decipher or understand.

Those who had listened to Grisóstomo’s song thought it was very good, though the one who read it said he did not think it conformed to the accounts he had heard of Marcela’s virtue and modesty, because in it Grisóstomo complained of jealousy, suspicions, and absence, all to the detriment of Marcela’s good name and reputation. To which Ambrosio, as the one who knew best the most hidden thoughts of his friend, replied: 'Señor, so that you may free yourself of this doubt, you ought to know that when the unfortunate man wrote this song he was absent from Marcela; he had absented himself from her voluntarily, to see if absence would have its customary effects on him, and since there is nothing that does not vex the absent lover, and no fear that does not overwhelm him, Grisóstomo was as vexed by the jealousy he imagined and the suspicions he feared as if they had been real. And with this the truth of Marcela’s reputation for virtue remains unshaken; for aside from her being cruel, and somewhat arrogant, and very disdainful, envy itself cannot or should not find any fault in her.

—¡Válame Dios —dijo el cura, dando una gran voz—, que aquí esté Tirante el Blanco! Dádmele acá, compadre, que hago cuenta que he hallado en él un tesoro de contento y una mina de pasatiempos. Aquí está don Quirieleisón de Montalbán, valeroso caballero, y su hermano Tomás de Montalbán, y el caballero Fonseca, con la batalla que el valiente de Tirante hizo con el alano, y las agudezas de la doncella Placerdemivida, con los amores y embustes de la viuda Reposada, y la señora Emperatriz, enamorada de Hipólito, su escudero. Dígoos verdad, señor compadre, que por su estilo es este el mejor libro del mundo: aquí comen los caballeros, y duermen y mueren en sus camas, y hacen testamento antes de su muerte, con estas cosas de que todos los demás libros deste género carecen. Con todo eso, os digo que merecía el que le compuso, pues no hizo tantas necedades de industria, que le echaran a galeras por todos los días de su vida. Llevadle a casa y leedle, y veréis que es verdad cuanto dél os he dicho.

Vossignoria pertanto creda a me e, come le ho detto già prima, legga di questi libri e vedrà come le bandiscono la malinconia che caso mai avesse e le fanno migliore il carattere se mai l'abbia guasto. Per parte mia le so dire che da quando sono cavaliere errante sono valoroso, garbato, liberale, bennato, magnanimo, cortese, mite, paziente, tollerante di fatiche, di prigionie, d'incantagioni.

We know already ample experience that it does not require much cleverness or much learning to be a governor, for there are a hundred round about us that scarcely know how to read.

Y fue esta negación añadir lama a llama y deseo a deseo; porque, aunque pusieron silencio a las lenguas, suelen dar a entender a quien quieren lo que en el alma está encerrado; que muchas veces la presencia de la cosa amada turba y enmudece la intención más determinada y la lengua más atrevida.

Yo no creo en brujas, pero que las hay, las hay.