The 70 best sentences of Miguel de Cervantes
If we talk about "The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha", we are referring to one of the greatest works of universal literature, being one of the most recognized worldwide stories of Spanish literature and only being surpassed by the Bible as the most translated and edited. And talking about this work also means talking about its author, Miguel de Cervantes .
This renowned writer lived between 1547 and 1616, at a time within the so-called Spanish Golden Age. There were many experiences that would mark him, such as his participation in armed conflicts as well known as the Battle of Lepanto (in which he lost the functionality of a hand) or his capture by the Turks and his imprisonment in Algiers.
Throughout his life the author would make multiple reflections on various issues of life, visible in multiple fragments of his works. In this article we will review different phrases by Miguel de Cervantes that allow us to approach their way of thinking and see the world.
- Related article: "123 wise phrases to reflect on life"
70 phrases by Miguel de Cervantes
Below is a small collection of great phrases by Miguel de Cervantes from his most famous works, in which he talks about various topics such as courage, love and hope.
1. In a place in La Mancha, whose name I do not want to remember ...
We introduce this small collection with the first of the phrases and one of the most memorable of Don Quixote de la Mancha.
2. What madness or nonsense leads me to count the other faults, having so much to say about mine?
This phrase criticizes the hypocrisy of those who dare to judge others without first looking at themselves.
3. More worth in the face than the stain on the heart
This phrase pushes us to act as we think is right , even though it may affect us negatively.
4. The abundance of things, even if they are good, means that they do not appreciate each other, and the scarcity, even of the bad ones, is estimated in something
Phrase that reminds us that we tend to value more what we do not have or what exists in a small amount, regardless of its real value.
5. Yesterday the one who laughed today cried and today he who yesterday laughed
Things change continuously, we should not consider them eternal. We should not take advantage of the situation or of the people, because whoever is now below may one day be above us.
6. Doing villains well is throwing water into the sea
The author proposes that dealing well with those who mistreat us is useless and ineffective.
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7. Love and desire are two different things; that not everything that is loved is desired, nor everything that is desired is loved
Both concepts can go hand in hand, but do not imply the same.
8. If jealousy is a sign of love, it is like the fever in the sick man: that having it is a sign of having life, but a sick and ill disposed life
This phrase reflects the sickness of jealousy, which is not a sign of love but of possessiveness.
9. Freedom, Sancho, is one of the most precious gifts that men gave the heavens; with it the treasures that the earth and the sea contain can not be equaled: for freedom, as well as for honor, life can and should be ventured
The author expresses the need to be free to live life as we want to live it, being ourselves.
10. A withdrawal is not a defeat
Sometimes we confuse going backwards with failure, when in fact it allows us to see things with perspective and find new ways of doing things.
11. Promises of lovers, for the most part they are light to promise and very heavy to fulfill
Committing to someone is easy, but not so much to comply with what was agreed. We should not compromise lightly. One of the phrases of Miguel de Cervantes based on the game of words .
12. He who reads a lot and walks a lot, goes a lot and knows a lot
This phrase impels us to live and experiment, being active instead of letting time pass without more.
13. When the anger leaves mother, does not have the father tongue, ayo nor brake that corrects it
The author makes reference to the fact that in the face of uncontrolled anger, many things are often said without thinking.
14. Perhaps in plainness and in humility the most exalted rejoicings are usually hidden
It is the apparently simplest things that are the most illusory and happiest.
15. That is why I judge and discern, for certain and notorious thing, that love has its glory at the gates of hell
Reaching love can come to suppose great suffering and pain, but it is worth it. In addition, it is in our worst moments that we appreciate it the most.
16. Give credit to works and not to words
It is easy to talk and promise, but what really has value is what we do.
17. Trust in time, which usually gives sweet starts to many bitter difficulties
With time we can see things in perspective.In addition, often they will be introducing elements in our lives that will allow us to resolve or appreciate our conflicts differently .
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18. More I want to be bad with hope of being good, than good with the purpose of being bad
Be as we are, it is always better not to be well considered but try to do good to others than the opposite.
19. There is no memory that time does not erase or pity that death does not end
Everything happens. As bad as the situation is now, however bad we may be, someday with time it will change.
20. Sorrows were not made for beasts but for men; but if men feel them too much, they become beasts
It is human to reflect and feel sadness before certain events, but this should not immobilize us or cause us to act irrationally.
21. Even among demons there are some worse than others, and among many bad men there is usually some good
This phrase pushes us not to generalize, everywhere there are people more or less related to us.
22. Each one is the architect of his own venture
What we do in our life is what marks what happens to us. We choose how to live.
23. Of well-born people it is to thank the benefits that it receives
We must be aware of what others do for us, and be able to thank them.
24. Do not be always rigorous or always soft and choose between these two extremes; that in it is the point of discretion
Phrase that pushes us to be flexible and assertive, so that we can adjust to the circumstances.
25. Do not wish and you will be the richest man in the world
Critical to the excessive ambition, that it does not let see the beauty and joy that supposes what we already have .
26. The guilt of the donkey is not to be thrown to the pack saddle
We must not attribute to others (whether persons or objects) or at random what is one's responsibility.
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27. Be slow with the tongue and fast with the eye
Phrase that pushes us to be able to analyze situations and think before speaking.
28. Praise is good as much as it is good who says it, and so much is bad when it is bad and vicious that praises
A praise will be good or bad depending on who tells us and why. Each one sees the qualities that seem positive to him, with which, for example, someone cruel could see this quality praiseworthy.
29. The dream is the relief of the miseries for those who suffer them awake
Dreaming allows us to imagine, to fly, to evade pain. In addition, it also allows us to imagine and establish goals to fight for.
30. The fool knows more in his house, than the wise in the other
We have a better understanding of what happens in environments and situations in which we usually move than those that do not, regardless of our capabilities.
31. A good repentance is the best medicine that have the diseases of the soul
Repenting of what we have done wrong leads us to act accordingly in order to improve the situation.
32. Everyone is like God did, and even worse many times
Each one of us has his way of being, of which we only show a small part. And often we show only our best part .
33. There is no road that does not end, as it is not opposed to laziness and idleness
We can always move on our way to our goals unless we give up and stop trying.
34. Love joins the scepters with the staffs; greatness with baseness; makes the impossible possible; equals different states and becomes powerful as death
True love supposes acceptance of the other and does not take into account the differences that may exist between both parties.
35. Little or no compliance with ambition other than third party damage
Phrase that warns us that usually ambitious people usually cause harm (whether direct or indirect) to achieve their goals.
36. Walking the land and communicating with different people makes men discreet
Know and learn from different people It makes us appreciate different perspectives and move away from extreme and / or inflexible positions.
37. Is it possible that your worship does not know that the comparisons that are made from wit to wit, from value to value, from beauty to beauty and from lineage to lineage are always odious and ill-received?
The author reminds us that competitiveness and the establishment of comparisons are not usually pleasant for the person compared.
38. Better a shot than two I'll give you
Once again, we are told that promising is easy, but not so much.
39. Of the miseries is usually relief a company
The closeness of someone, especially someone you love, relieves any pain or suffering.
40. Revenge punishes, but does not take away the faults
Revenge can cause harm to those who have done it to us, but this will not eliminate the pain that has caused us or return us to our original state.
41. There can be love without jealousy, but not without fears
Although jealousy is negative, It is normal that we fear losing what we love .
42. Truth is thin, but not bankrupt
Being honest can cause you to be rejected or assume consequences for it, but it also allows you to act according to what we believe is right.
43. The man well prepared for the fight has already achieved half a triumph
Phrase that expresses the usefulness of being prepared for the existence of setbacks and conflicts.
44. The path of virtue is very narrow and the path of vice, wide and spacious
It is easy to go to shortcuts to get what we want. However, acting according to our beliefs and what we consider correct is much more complicated, although more satisfactory.
45. He who does not know how to enjoy the adventure when it comes to him, should not complain if he passes
Phrase that warns us that opportunities are not forever, but should be exploited when they appear.
46. This one they call around Fortuna is a drunk and capricious woman, and above all blind, and so she does not see what she does or knows who she knocks down
The luck is something uncontrollable that sometimes can be of our side but that sometimes it is going to be against us, approaching us and making it difficult to reach our objectives.
47. Be brief in your reasoning, that none are happy if it is long
Overdoing things will generate that both who makes them and who listens to them may end up exhausted and tired.
48. Do not love what you are, but what you can become
We should not congratulate ourselves with what has been achieved and stagnate , but we must try to continue to evolve and admire not what has been done but what we are or will be capable of. We have to keep moving forward.
49. Ingratitude is the daughter of pride
To believe oneself superior usually generates that it does not appreciate what the others do for us, assuming that they must do it.
50. Falsehood has wings and flies, and the truth keeps crawling, so that when people realize the deception is too late
It is simple to lie and pretend, but to reach the truth supposes to have to dig and make an effort. Most people only look at appearances without deepening what can be behind them.
51. Eat little and eat less, that the health of the whole body is forged in the stomach office
Cervantes prevents us from excesses in food intake and diet.
52. Do not you know that courage is not bravery?
Being brave implies doing what we believe in spite of being afraid of doing it, but that does not mean that we act without thinking.
53. In common misadventures, tempers are reconciled and friendships are narrowed
Having to face a difficulty that affects many unites these people, facilitating their cooperation and the birth of affection.
54. Office that does not feed its owner, is not worth two beans
The author expresses the need for work or occupation to allow us to survive.
55. No science, as to science, deceives; the deception is in those who do not know
The author expresses his belief in the advancement of science, being those who do not know the most surprised and most doubt about it have.
56. Pudor is a charm that doubles the charms of beauty
Often the beautiful is not aware that it is , being his modesty in many cases something that still makes it more beautiful.
57. Ventured to whom the heavens gave a piece of bread, with no obligation to thank another than to heaven itself
The author tells us about the luck that has who has a gift, talent, quality or innate positive characteristic.
58. Need, it is said, is a master in subtilizing ingenuity
It is when we have an urgent need when we usually apply our resources to the maximum.
59. Do not look for nests of yesteryear, birds flying
Phrase that reflects that we should not expect that what we leave behind is the same or as we expect, because time passes for everything and everyone.
60. In the art of seamanship, the simplest sailor knows that the greatest lawyer in the world
Having more or less studies does not make us more experts in subjects in which we have no experience.
61. The pen is the language of the soul; what were the concepts that were generated in her, such will be her writings
Through writing, both in prose and poetry, we reflect part of our being and we express our deepest emotions and thoughts.
62. There is not in the earth, according to my opinion, content to equalize the lost freedom
With this phrase Cervantes makes reference to his captivity in Algiers.
63. An ounce of good reputation is worth more than a pound of pearls
The fact of being well considered is much more important than the mere fact of getting money.
64. It is to want to tie the tongues to the curses the same as wanting to put doors to the field
In other words, trying to silence criticisms, complaints and rumors often only causes them to reproduce. The author proposes that it is a useless effort.
65. Music composes the decomposed spirits and relieves the works that are born of the spirit
Cervantes talks about the importance of music as an art that allows expressing feelings and making them resonate.
66. The evils that do not have the strength to end life do not have to end the patience
Everything has a solution, so we should not over worry or be anguished over problems.
67She fights in me and overcomes me, and I live and breathe in her, and I have life and be
This phrase, that Don Quixote says talking about Dulcinea , expresses the strength that gives the character love towards his beloved.
68. If perhaps you bend the rod of justice, not with the weight of the gift but with the weight of mercy
The only reason why justice might not apply is compassion for the circumstances that have propitiated the situation.
69. Love is invisible and goes in and out where you want without anyone asking for your facts
Love is something that happens without much control over him, often falling in love with people we would never have thought we would.
70. It seems, Sancho, that there is no proverb that is not true, because all are sentences drawn from the same experience, mother of sciences all
This phrase reflects that within popular wisdom there is some truth and logic, this being what ultimately has generated its existence and expansion.
