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Mark this well, you proud men of action! you are, after all, nothing but unconscious instruments of the men of thought.
Topic: Action
Source: None
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The weather-cock on the church spire, though made of iron, would soon be broken by the storm-wind if it ... did not understand the noble art of turning to every wind.
Topic: Adaptability
Source: None
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The Blossoms and leaves in plenty
From the apple tree fall each day;
The merry breezes approach them,
And with them merrily play.
Topic: Apples
Source: Book of Songs--Lyrical Interlude (no. 63)
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When I lately stood with a friend before [the cathedral of]
Amiens, . . . he asked me how it happens that we can no longer
build such piles? I replied: "Dear Alphonse, men in those days
had convictions (Ueberzeugungen), we moderns have opinions
(Meinungen) and it requires something more than an opinion to
build a Gothic cathedral.
Topic: Architecture
Source: Confidential Letters to August Lewald on the French Stage (letter 9), translated by C.G. Leland
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With the rose the butterfly's deep in love,
A thousand times hovering round;
But round himself, all tender like gold,
The sun's sweet ray is hovering found.
Topic: Butterflies
Source: Book of Songs--New Spring (no. 7)
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Communism possesses a language which every people can understand--its elements are hunger, envy, and death.
Topic: Communism
Source: None
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You cannot feed the hungry on statistics.
Topic: Computer / Technology / Science
Source: None
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And the dancing has begun now,
And the dancers whirl round gaily
In the waltz's giddy mazes,
And the ground beneath them trembles.
Topic: Dancing
Source: Book of Songs--Don Ramiro (st. 23)
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Twelve dancers are dancing, and taking no rest,
And closely their hands together are press'd;
And soon as a dance has come to a close,
Another begins, and each merrily goes.
Topic: Dancing
Source: Dream and Life
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I call'd the devil, and he came,
And with wonder his form did I closely scan;
He is not ugly, and is not lame,
But really a handsome and charming man.
A man in the prime of life is the devil,
Obliging, a man of the world, and civil;
A diplomatist too, well skill'd in debate,
He talks quite glibly of church and state.
Topic: Devil
Source: Pictures of Travels--The Return Home (no. 37)
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In blissful dream, in silent night,
There came to me, with magic might,
With magic might, my own sweet love,
Into my little room above.
Topic: Dreams
Source: Youthful Sorrows (pt. VI, st. 1)
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If the Romans had been obliged to learn Latin, they would never have found time to conquer the world.
Topic: Education
Source: None
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It is a common phenomenon that just the prettiest girls find it so difficult to get a man.
Topic: Girls
Source: None
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Glow-worms on the ground are moving,
As if in the torch-dance circling.
Topic: Glowworms
Source: Book of Songs--Donna Clara (st. 17)
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And yonder sits a maiden,
The fairest of the fair,
With gold in her garment glittering,
And she combs her golden hair.
Topic: Hair
Source: The Lorelei (st. 3)
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Tell me who first did kisses suggest?
It was a mouth all glowing and blest;
It kissed and it thought of nothing beside.
The fair month of May was then in its pride,
The flowers were all from the earth fast springing,
The sun was laughing, the birds were singing.
Topic: Kisses
Source: Book of Songs--New Spring--Prologue (no. 25, st. 2)
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If the Romans had been obliged to learn Latin, they would never have found the time to conquer the world.
Topic: Language
Source: None
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God will pardon me. It is his trade.
Topic: Last words
Source: None
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If thou lookest on the lime-leaf,
Thou a heart's form will discover;
Therefore are the lindens ever
Chosen seats of each fond lover.
Topic: Linden
Source: Book of Songs--New Spring (no. 31, st. 3)
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Sweet May hath come to love us,
Flowers, trees, their blossoms don;
And through the blue heavens above us
The very clouds move on.
Topic: May
Source: Book of Songs--New Spring (no. 5)
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As the moon's fair image quaketh
In the raging waves of ocean,
Whilst she, in the vault of heaven,
Moves with silent peaceful motion.
Topic: Moon
Source: Book of Songs--New Spring (prologue, no. 23)
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When words leave off, music begins.
Topic: Music
Source: None
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In these times we fight for ideas, and newspapers are our fortresses.
Topic: Newspapers
Source: None
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Like a wedding-song all-melting
Sings the nightingale, the dear one.
Topic: Nightingales
Source: Book of Songs--Donna Clara
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The nightingale appear'd the first,
And as her melody she sang,
The apple into blossom burst,
To life the grass and violets sprang.
Topic: Nightingales
Source: Book of Songs--New Spring (no. 9)
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The oaks with solemnity shook their heads;
The twigs of the birch-trees, in token
Of warning, nodded,--and I exclaim'd:
"Dear Monarch, forgive what I've spoken!"
Topic: Oak
Source: Songs--Germany (caput XVII)
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The sea appears all golden
Beneath the sun-lit sky.
Topic: Ocean
Source: Book of Songs--New Poems--Seraphina (no. 15)
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Thy letter sent to prove me,
Inflicts no sense of wrong;
No longer wilt thou love me,--
Thy letter, though is long.
Topic: Post
Source: Book of Songs--New Spring (no. 34)
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The air grows cool and darkles,
The Rhine flows calmly on;
The mountain summit sparkles
In the light of the setting sun.
Topic: Rhine River
Source: The Lorelei
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The spring's already at the gate
With looks my care beguiling;
The country round appeareth straight
A flower-garden smiling.
Topic: Spring
Source: Book of Songs--Catherine (no. 6)
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The beauteous eyes of the spring's fair night
With comfort are downward gazing.
Topic: Spring
Source: Book of Songs--New Spring (no. 3)
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In vain would I seek to discover
Why sad and mournful am I,
My thoughts without ceasing brood over
A tale of the time gone by.
[Ger., Ich weiss nicht was soll es bedeuten,
Dass ich so traurig bin:
Ein marchen aus alten Zeiten
Das kommt mir nicht aus dem Sinn.]
Topic: Story Telling
Source: Die Lorelei, (E.A. Bowring's translation)
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The swan in the pool is singing,
And up and down doth he steer,
And, singing gently ever,
Dips under the water clear.
Topic: Swans
Source: Book of Songs--Lyrical Interlude (no. 64)
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And over the pond are sailing
Two swans all white as snow;
Sweet voices mysteriously wailing
Pierce through me as onward they go.
They sail along, and a ringing
Sweet melody rises on high;
And when the swans begin singing,
They presently must die.
Topic: Swans
Source: Early Poems--Evening Songs (no. 2)
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The swan, like the soul of the poet,
By the dull world is ill understood.
Topic: Swans
Source: Early Poems--Evening Songs (no. 2)
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It must require an inordinate share of vanity and presumption, too, after enjoying so much that is good and beautiful on earth, to ask the Lord for immortality in addition to all.
Topic: Vanity
Source: None
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The violets prattle and titter,
And gaze on the stars high above.
Topic: Violets
Source: Book of Songs--Lyrical Interlude (9)
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The eyes of spring, so azure,
Are peeping from the ground;
They are the darling violets,
That I in nosegays bound.
Topic: Violets
Source: Book of Songs--New Spring (13)
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