Original text (French)
Honor is like an island, rugged and without a beach; once we have left it, we can never return.
Time flies and draws us with it. The moment in which I am speaking is already far from me.
Hasten slowly, and without losing heart,
Put your work twenty times upon the anvil.
Happy the poet who with ease can steer
From grave to gay, from lively to severe.
Every age has its pleasures, its style of wit, and its own ways.
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It is better to be poor and walk in integrity than to be stupid and speak lies.
If a poor person envies a rich person, he is no better than the rich person.
Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.