Pierre Corneille Quotes

These little rulers who may rule a year,
Who see their pow’r will be for such short time,
Seek to abort the fruit of well made plans,
Lest it belong to those who follow them.
As they have little share of public goods,
They try to harvest much for their own selves,
Each man, they know, will gladly pardon them,
In hopes of one day profiting the same:
The people’s state of all states is the worst. — Cinna

Mets la main sure mon coeur, Et vois comme il se trouble au nom de son vainqueur, Comme il le reconnait.

I don't know how to defend myself: surprised innocence cannot imagine being under suspicion.

Al vencer sin obstáculos se triunfa sin gloria

Chaque instant de la vie est un pas vers la mort.

A monarch must sometimes rule even himself:
He who wants everything must risk very little.

Un monarque a souvent des lois à s'imposer;
Et qui veut pouvoir tout ne doit pas tout oser.

If you betray me, can I take a better revenge
Than to love the person you hate?

Me puis-je mieux venger, si vous me trahissez,
Que d'aimer à vos yeux ce que vous haïssez?

They who overcome their desires once can overcome them always.

Qui se vainc une fois peut se vaincre toujours.

Self-love is the source of all our other loves.

L'amour-propre est la source en nous de tous les autres.

Rome is no longer in Rome, it is here where I am.

Rome n'est plus dans Rome, elle est toute où je suis.