Eleni Tavoulari > Eleni's Quotes

“Let those who feel
the heavy brazen hand of fear
bear slavery:
freedom needs virtue,
needs daring.
She (for myth may veil
the spirit of truth) lent wings
to Icarus – and though he fell,
and his wings drowned
beneath the waves,
he fell from great heights
and still died free. Should you
die like a sheep, dishonored,
at the hands of a tyrant,
your grave will be an abomination.”
― Andreas Kalvos

“Happy is not the right word. This world is not a place where we can be happy. It wasn’t created for man’s happiness, though many believe this is the reason of our existence. I think we are here to fight, so that good and evil can clash within us, and good may prevail, thus enriching us spiritually. It’s difficult to say whether we are happy or not: it doesn’t depend on us… There are times when one regrets being born, but life also gives us surprising things that, alone, are worth living. The issue of happiness doesn’t exist for me: happiness as such doesn’t exist.”
― Andrei Tarkovsky

“I’ve become skeptical of the unwritten rule that just because a boy and girl appear in the same feature, a romance must ensue. Rather, I want to portray a slightly different relationship, one where the two mutually inspire each other to live - if I’m able to, then perhaps I’ll be closer to portraying a true expression of love.”
― Hayao Miyazaki

“Prayer before Birth

I am not yet born; O hear me.
Let not the bloodsucking bat or the rat or the stoat or the
club-footed ghoul come near me.

I am not yet born, console me.
I fear that the human race may with tall walls wall me,
with strong drugs dope me, with wise lies lure me,
on black racks rack me, in blood-baths roll me.

I am not yet born; provide me
With water to dandle me, grass to grow for me, trees to talk
to me, sky to sing to me, birds and a white light
in the back of my mind to guide me.

I am not yet born; forgive me
For the sins that in me the world shall commit, my words
when they speak me, my thoughts when they think me,
my treason engendered by traitors beyond me,
my life when they murder by means of my
hands, my death when they live me.

I am not yet born; rehearse me
In the parts I must play and the cues I must take when
old men lecture me, bureaucrats hector me, mountains
frown at me, lovers laugh at me, the white
waves call me to folly and the desert calls
me to doom and the beggar refuses
my gift and my children curse me.

I am not yet born; O hear me,
Let not the man who is beast or who thinks he is God
come near me.

I am not yet born; O fill me
With strength against those who would freeze my
humanity, would dragoon me into a lethal automaton,
would make me a cog in a machine, a thing with
one face, a thing, and against all those
who would dissipate my entirety, would
blow me like thistledown hither and
thither or hither and thither
like water held in the
hands would spill me.

Let them not make me a stone and let them not spill me.
Otherwise kill me.”
― Louis MacNeice

“A man sets out to draw the world. As the years go by, he peoples a space with images of provinces, kingdoms, mountains, bays, ships, islands, fishes, rooms, instruments, stars, horses, and individuals. A short time before he dies, he discovers that the patient labyrinth of lines traces the lineaments of his own face.”
― Jorge Luis Borges, The Aleph and Other Stories

“Time is endless in thy hands, my lord. There is none to count thy minutes.

Days and nights pass and ages bloom and fade like flowers. Thou knowest how to wait.

Thy centuries follow each other perfecting a small wild flower.

We have no time to lose, and having no time we must scramble for a chances. We are too poor to be late.

And thus it is that time goes by while I give it to every querulous man who claims it, and thine altar is empty of all offerings to the last.

At the end of the day I hasten in fear lest thy gate to be shut; but I find that yet there is time.”
― Rabindranath Tagore, Gitanjali

“I wish I were a girl again, half-savage and hardy, and free.”
― Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

“Σκοπός της ζωής μας δεν είναι η χαμέρπεια.
Υπάρχουν απειράκις ωραιότερα πράγματα και απ' αυτήν την αγαλματώδη παρουσία του περασμένου έπους.
Σκοπός της ζωής μας είναι η αγάπη.
Σκοπός της ζωής μας είναι η ατελεύτητη μάζα μας.
Σκοπός της ζωής μας είναι η λυσιτελής παραδοχή της ζωής μας και της καθεμιάς ευχής εν παντί τόπω εις πάσαν στιγμήν εις κάθε ένθερμον αναμόχλευσιν των υπαρχόντων. Σκοπός της ζωής μας είναι το σεσημασμένον δέρας της υπάρξεώς μας.

Α. Εμπειρίκος,
Υψικάμινος, Άγρα”
― Ανδρέας Εμπειρίκος, Υψικάμινος

“Thomas was greatly interested in Sirius's accounts of his love affairs; about which, by the way, he showed no reticence. To the question, 'What is it that attracts you in her?' young Sirius could only reply, 'She smells so lovely.' Later in life he was able to say more. Some years later I myself discussed the matter with him, and he said, 'Of course it's mostly the luscious smell of her. I can't possibly make you understand the power of it, because you humans are so bad at smells. It's as though your noses were not merely feeble but colour-blind. But think of all that your poets have ever said about the delectable curves and colours of the beloved, and how her appearance seems to express a lovely spirit (often deceptively), and then imagine the whole thing done in terms of fragrance. Morwen's fragrance when she wants me is like the scent of the morning, with a maddening tang in it for which there are no words. It is the scent of a very gentle and fragrant spirit, but unfortunately the spirit of Morwen is nine-tenths asleep, and always will be. But she smells like what she would be if she were really awake.”
― Olaf Stapledon, Sirius

“When I think of what life is, and how seldom love is answered by love; it is one of the moments for which the world was made.”
― E.M. Forster, A Room with a View

“What do you fear, lady?" [Aragorn] asked.
"A cage," [Éowyn] said. "To stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

“Η ζωή μας μια φορά μάς δίνεται, άπαξ, που λένε, σα μια μοναδική ευκαιρία. Τουλάχιστον μ' αυτήν την αυτόνομη μορφή της δεν πρόκειται να ξαναυπάρξουμε ποτέ.

Και μείς τι την κάνουμε, ρε αντί να την ζήσουμε;

Τί την κάνουμε; Τη σέρνουμε από δω κι από κει δολοφονώντας την...

Οργανωμένη κοινωνία, οργανωμένες ανθρώπινες σχέσεις.

Μα αφού είναι οργανωμένες, πώς είναι σχέσεις;

Σχέση σημαίνει συνάντηση, σημαίνει έκπληξη, σημαίνει γέννα συναισθήματος, πώς να οργανώσεις τα συναισθήματα...

Έτσι, μ'αυτήν την κωλοεφεύρεση που τη λένε ρολόι, σπρώχνουμε τις ώρες και τις μέρες σα να μας είναι βάρος, και μας είναι βάρος, γιατί δε ζούμε, κατάλαβες;

'Ολο κοιτάμε το ρολόι, να φύγει κι αυτή η ώρα, να φύγει κι αυτή η μέρα, να έρθει το αύριο, και πάλι φτου κι απ'την αρχή.

Χωρίσαμε τη μέρα σε πτώματα στιγμών, σε σκοτωμένες ώρες που θα τις θάβουμε μέσα μας, μέσα στις σπηλιές του είναι μας, στις σπηλιές όπου γεννιέται η ελευθερία της επιθυμίας, και τις μπαζώνουμε με όλων των ειδών τα σκατά και τα σκουπίδια που μας πασάρουν σαν "αξίες", σαν "ηθική", σαν "πολιτισμό".

Κάναμε το σώμα μας ένα απέραντο νεκροταφείο δολοφονημένων επιθυμιών και προσδοκιών, αφήνουμε τα πιο σημαντικά, τα πιο ουσιαστικά πράγματα, όπως να παίξουμε και να χαρούμε μεταξύ μας, να παίξουμε και να χαρούμε με τα παιδιά και τα ζώα, με τα λουλούδια και τα δέντρα, να κάνουμε έρωτα, να απολαύσουμε τη φύση, τις ομορφιές του ανθρώπινου χεριού και του πνεύματος, να κατεβούμε τρυφερά μέσα μας, να γνωρίσουμε τον εαυτό μας και τον διπλανό μας...

Όλα, όλα τα αφήνουμε για το αύριο που δε θα 'ρθει ποτέ...

Μόνο όταν ο θάνατος χτυπήσει κάποιο αγαπημένο μας πρόσωπο πονάμε, γιατί συνήθως σκεφτόμαστε πως θέλαμε να του πούμε τόσα σημαντικά πράγματα, όπως πόσο τον αγαπούσαμε, πόσο σημαντικός ήταν για εμάς… Όμως το αφήσαμε για αύριο…

Για να πάμε που;

Αφού ανατέλλει, δύει ο ήλιος και δεν πάμε πουθενά αλλού, παρά μόνο στο θάνατο, και μεις οι μ......, αντί να κλαίμε το δειλινό που χάθηκε άλλη μια μέρα απ'τη ζωή μας, χαιρόμαστε.

Ξέρεις γιατι;

Γιατί η μέρα μας είναι φορτωμένη με οδύνη, αντί να είναι μια περιπέτεια, μια σύγκρουση με τα όρια της ελευθερίας μας.

Την καταντήσαμε έναν καθημερινό, χωρίς καμμία ελπίδα ανάστασης, θάνατο, διότι αυτός είναι ο θάνατος. Ο άλλος, όταν γεράσουμε σε αρμονία και ελευθερία με τον εαυτό μας, όταν δηλαδή παραμείνουμε εμείς, δεν είναι θάνατος, είναι μετάβαση, είναι διάσπαση σε μύριες άλλες ζωές, στις οποίες, αν εδώ, σε τούτη τη μορφή ζωής είσαι ζωντανός, αν δε δολοφονήσεις την ουσία σου, εκεί θα δώσεις χάρη και ομορφιά, όπως η Μαρία που φούνταρε προχτές απο την ταράτσα για να μην πεθάνει.

Ήρθανε να την πάρουν και η Μαρία είπε το όχι με τον πιο αμετάκλητο τρόπο. Πήγαμε στην κηδεία της και τι άκουσα τον παπά να λέει: "Χους ει και εις χουν απελεύσει". Και τότε κατάλαβα πως η Μαρία σώθηκε. Του χρόνου, όλα τα στοιχεία της, που τα κράτησε ζωντανά σε τούτη τη μορφή ζωής, θα γίνουν πανσέδες, δέντρα, πουλιά, ποτάμια ...”
― Χρόνης Μίσσιος

“It is the folly of men to believe that they are great players on the stage of history, that their actions might affect the grand procession that is the pasage of time.”
― Graham McNeill, False Gods

“And still, after all this time,
The sun never says to the earth,
"You owe Me."

Look what happens with
A love like that,
It lights the Whole Sky.”
― Hafiz

“There are many paradoxes in the world and one of them is this, that wherever the landscape is immense, the sky unlimited, clouds intimately dense, feelings unfathomable ⎯ that is to say where infinitude is manifest ⎯ its fit companion is one solitary person; a multitude there seems so petty, so distracting.

An individual and the infinite are on equal terms, worthy to gaze on one another, each from his own throne. But where many men are, how small both humanity and infinitude become, how much they have to knock off each other, in order to fit in together! Each soul wants so much room to expand that in a crowd it needs must wait for gaps through which to thrust a little craning piece of a head from time to time.

So the only result of our endeavour to assemble is that we become unable to fill our joined hands, our outstretched arms, with this endless, fathomless expanse.”
― Rabindranath Tagore, Glimpses of Bengal

“Love's Question "
And is this all true,
My ever-loving friend?
That the lightning-flash of the light in my eyes
Makes the clouds in your heart explode and blaze,
Is this true?
That my sweet lips are red as a blushing new bride,
My ever-loving friend,
Is this true?

That a tree of paradise flowers withing me,
That my foosteps ring like vinas beneath me,
Is this true?
That the night sheds drops of dew at the sight of me,
That the dawn surrounds me with light from delight in me,
Is this true?
That the touch of my hot cheek intoxicates the breeze,
My ever-loving friend,
Is this true?

That daylight hides in the dark of my hair,
That my arms hold life and death in their power,
Is this true?
That the earth can be wrapped in the end of my sari,
That my voice makes the world fall silent to hear me,
Is this true?
That the univrse is nothing but me and what loves me,
My ever-loving friend,
Is this true?

That for me alone your love has been waiting
Through worlds and ages awake and wandering,
Is this true?
That my voice, eyes, lips have brought you relief,
In a trice, from the cycle of life after life,
Is this true?
That you read on my soft forehead inginite Truth,
My ever-loving friend,
Is this true?”
― Rabindranath Tagore

“Those who in the name of Faith embrace illusion,
kill and are killed.
Even the atheist gets God's blessings-
Does not boast of his religion;

With reverence he lights the lamp of Reason
And pays his homage not to scriptures,
But to the good in man.

The bigot insults his own religion
When he slays a man of another faith.
Conduct he judges not in the light of Reason;
In the temple he raises the blood-stained banner
And worships the devil in the name of God.

All that is shameful and barbarous through the Ages,
Has found a shelter in their temples-
Those they turn into prisons;
O, I hear the trumpet call of Destruction!
Time comes with her great broom
Sweeping all refuse away.

That which should make man free,
They turn into fetters;
That which should unite,
They turn into sword;
That which should bring love
From the fountain of the Eternal,
They turn into prison

And with its waves they flood the world.
They try to cross the river
In a bark riddled with holes;
And yet, in their anguish, whom do they blame?

O Lord, breaking false religion,
Save the blind!
Break! O break
The alter that is drowned in blood.

Let your thunder strike
Into the prison of false religion,

And bring to this unhappy land
The light of Knowledge.”
― Tagore Rabindraneth

“WHEN I GO ALONE AT NIGHT

WHEN I go alone at night to my love-tryst, birds do not sing, the wind does not stir, the houses on both sides of the street stand silent.
It is my own anklets that grow loud at every step and I am ashamed.

When I sit on my balcony and listen for his footsteps, leaves do not rustle on the trees, and the water is still in the river like the sword on the knees of a sentry fallen asleep.
It is my own heart that beats wildly -- I do not know how to quiet it.

When my love comes and sits by my side, when my body trembles and my eyelids droop, the night darkens, the wind blows out the lamp, and the clouds draw veils over the stars.
It is the jewel at my own breast that shines and gives light. I do not know how to hide it.”
― Rabindranath Tagore

“Ένας λαός έχει το δικαίωμα ν' αλλάξει τον λογικό και οικείο τρόπο με τον οποίο ένας άλλος λαός, ρυθμίζει την υλική και ηθική ύπαρξή του;”
― Stendhal, Mina de Vanghel

“For those who believe in God, most of the big questions are answered. But for those of us who can't readily accept the God formula, the big answers don't remain stone-written. We adjust to new conditions and discoveries. We are pliable. Love need not be a command nor faith a dictum. I am my own god. We are here to unlearn the teachings of the church, state, and our educational system. We are here to drink beer. We are here to kill war. We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.”
― Charles Bukowski

“My heart, the bird of the wilderness,
has found its sky in your eyes.
They are the cradle of the morning,
they are the kingdom of the stars.
My songs are lost in their depths.
Let me but soar in that sky,
in its lonely immensity.
Let me but cleave its clouds
and spread wings in its sunshine.”
― Rabindranath Tagore, The Gardener

“-Μίλα!
-Μίλα! Γιατί δε μιλάς;
-Μίλα! Δε με νοιάζει τι θα πεις, μίλα!
-Μίλα! Μίλα!
Πες της...πες της...γιατί δεν της λες ότι κάθε στιγμή μαζί ήταν γιορτή. Επιφάνεια, οι δυο σας μόνοι μέσα στον κόσμο.
Ότι ήταν πιο θαρραλέα, πιο αναλάφρη κι από πουλί, ότι κατέβηκε ορμητική δυο δυο τα σκαλιά σαν ίλιγγος και μέσα από την υγρή πασχαλιά σε οδήγησε στο βασίλειό της, στην άλλη πλευρά, πίσω από τον καθρέφτη.
Πες της, γιατί δεν της λες, ότι όταν ήρθε η νύχτα, άνοιξαν διάπλατα οι πύλες της αγίας τράπεζας, ότι στο σκοτάδι έλαμψε η γύμνια σας, καθώς γείρατε.
Ότι άνοιξες τα μάτια σου και την είδες στο πλάι σου και είπες...Πες της το. Αυτό πρέπει να της το πεις: ευλογήμενη να' σαι.
Κι ότι ήξερες πως η ευλογία σου ήταν θράσος. Ότι κοιμόταν και το χέρι της ήταν ακόμα ζεστό κάτω από τα σκεπάσματα.
Πες της για τα ηλεκτροφόρα σύρματα της κοιλιάς της, ότι βουνά πρόβαλλαν στην ομίχλη, θάλασσες λυσσομανούσαν, ενώ κοιμόταν ακόμα καθισμένη σε θρόνο κι ήταν, θέε μου, δική σου.
Πες της, γιατί δεν της λες ότι όταν ξαπλώνατε μαζί, έσβησαν πόλεις χτισμένες ως εκ θαύματος.
Πουλιά ταξίδευαν στον ίδιο δρόμο.
Ότι ο ουρανός ξετυλιγόταν μπρος στα μάτια σας, ότι τα ψάρια στα ποτάμια κολυμπούσαν αντίδρομα.

Πουλιά ταξίδευαν στο δρόμο μας”
― Arseny Tarkovsky

“It was as if they had leapt over the arduous cavalry of conjugal life and gone straight to the heart of love. They were together in silence like an old married couple wary of life, beyond the pitfalls of passion, beyond the brutal mockery of hope and the phantoms of disillusion: beyond love. For they had lived together long enough to know that love was always love, anytime and anyplace, but it was more solid the closer it came to death.”
― Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Love in the Time of Cholera

“I, with a deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, who does not believe me naïve or innocent, who has the courage to treat me like a woman.”
― Anaïs Nin

“How senseless is everything that can ever be written, done, or thought, when such things are possible. It must be all lies and of no account when the culture of a thousand years could not prevent this stream of blood being poured out, these torture-chambers in their hundreds of thousands. A hospital alone shows what war is.”
― Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front

“But when a woman decides to sleep with a man, there is no wall she will not scale, no fortress she will not destroy, no moral consideration she will not ignore at its very root: there is no God worth worrying about.”
― Gabriel García Márquez, Love in the Time of Cholera

“It is very queer that the unhappiness of the world is so often brought on by small men.”
― Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front

“I taught him, 'he quavered, "to trust in love. I said:'when love comes, that is reality.' I said: 'Passion does not blind. No. Passion is sanity, and the woman you love, she is the only person you will ever really understand.”
― E. M. Forster, A Room With a View

“The man who alters his way of thinking to suit others is a fool.”
― Marquis de Sade, Justine, Philosophy in the Bedroom, and Other Writings

“How delightful are the pleasures of the imagination! In those delectable moments, the whole world is ours; not a single creature resists us, we devastate the world, we repopulate it with new objects which, in turn, we immolate. The means to every crime is ours, and we employ them all, we multiply the horror a hundredfold.”
― Marquis de Sade, Les Prosperites du Vice