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Friedrich Schiller on Anniversary

1759–1805 Germany

← All quotes by Friedrich Schiller

26 quotes

Have Love. Not love alone for one,
But men, as man, thy brothers call;
And scatter, like the circling sun,
Thy charities on all.

Love is only known by him who hopelessly persists in love.

Don Carlos (1787)

The dictates of the heart are the voice of fate.

Wallenstein (1798)

What is life without the radiance of love?

Wallenstein (1798)

There are three lessons I would write, —
Three words — as with a burning pen,
In tracings of eternal light
Upon the hearts of men.

Wouldst thou know thyself, observe the actions of others.
Wouldst thou other men know, look thou within thine own heart.

They would need to be already wise, in order to love wisdom.

O that it might remain eternally green,
The beautiful time of youthful love.

It would be necessary that they should be already sages to love wisdom: a truth that was felt at once by him to whom philosophy owes its name.

On the Aesthetic Education of Man (1794)

Yet tremble at the slow, silent power of time.

Day follows on the murkiest night, and, when the time comes, the latest fruits will ripen.

It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons.

Eternity gives nothing back of what one leaves out of the minutes.

Who knows what may be slumbering in the background of time!

Sense of wrongs forget to treasure—
Brethren, live in perfect love!
In the starry realms above,
God will mete as we may measure.

An die Freude (Ode to Joy; or Hymn to Joy) (1785)

In the smallest cot there is room enough for a loving pair.

I have enjoyed earthly happiness,
I have lived and loved.

Welcome, all ye myriad creatures!
Brethren, take the kiss of love!

An die Freude (Ode to Joy; or Hymn to Joy) (1785)

Thus Arm in Arm with thee I dare defy my century into the lists.

O tender yearning, sweet hoping!
The golden time of first love!
The eye sees the open heaven,
The heart is intoxicated with bliss;
O that the beautiful time of young love
Could remain green forever.

The Song of the Bell (1799)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Friedrich Schiller (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.