Jean De La Fontaine Quotes

Better to rely on one powerful king than on many little princes.

I don't believe that Nature's powers
Have tied her hands or pinioned ours,
By marking on the heavenly vault
Our fate without mistake or fault.
That fate depends on conjunctions
Of places, persons, times, and tracks,
And not on the functions
Of more or less of quacks.

In this world we must help one another.

Imitators are a slavish herd and fools in my opinion.
[Fr., C'est un betail servile et sot a mon avis
Que les imitateurs.]

Every flatterer lives at the expense of him who listens to him.

Everyone calls himself a friend, but only a fool relies on it: nothing is commoner than the name, nothing rarer than the thing.

Love cries victory when the tears of a woman become the sole defence of her virtue.

Nothing is so dangerous as an ignorant friend; a wise enemy is worth more.
[Fr., Rien n'est si dangereux qu'un ignorant ami;
Mieux vaudrait un sage ennemi.]

He knows the universe and does not know himself.

From a distance it is something; and nearby it is nothing.

Every journalist owes tribute to the evil one.

Friendship is the shadow of the evening, which increases with the setting sun of life.

We are never content with our lot.

There is no road of flowers leading to glory.

Alas! we see that the small have always suffered for the follies of the great.
[Fr., Helas! on voit que de tout temps
Les Petits ont pati des sottises des grands.]

Example is a dangerous lure: where the wasp got through the gnat sticks fast.

Rare as is true love, true friendship is rarer.

Is not moderation an old refrain Ringing in our ears? from which we all refrain.

To hell with pleasure that's haunted by fear.

The argument of the strongest is always the best.

By time and toil we sever What strength and rage could never.

Half of today is better than all of tomorrow.

In everything we ought to look at the end.

A hungry stomach cannot hear.

But the shortest works are always the best.

All roads lead to Rome, but our antagonists think we should choose different paths.

The fastidious are unfortunate; nothing satisfies them.

Nothing weighs on us so heavily as a secret.

He knoweth the universe, and himself he knoweth not.

Man is ice to truth and fire to falsehood.

We believe easily what we fear of what we desire

There is nothing useless to men of sense.

Death never takes the wise man by surprise; He is always ready to go.

Often we find our own destiny on the same roads that we have been avoiding.

Anyone entrusted with power will abuse it if not also animated with the love of truth and virtue, no matter whether he be a prince, or one of the people.

A hare is not caught with a drum.

One should oblige everyone to the extent of one's ability. One often needs someone smaller than oneself.

Rather suffer than die is man's motto.

Better to suffer than to die.

If you deal with a fox, think of his tricks.

Still people are dangerous.

Everyone has his faults which he continually repeats: neither fear nor shame can cure them.

We heed no instincts but our own.

In short, Luck's always to blame.

People who make no noise are dangerous.

Nothing is as dangerous as an ignorant friend; a wise enemy is to be preferred.

Help yourself, and Heaven will help you.

O love, when thou gettest dominion over us, we may bid good-by to prudence.

Better a living beggar than a buried emperor.

But every one has a besetting sin to which he returns.

Habit, to which all of us are more or less slaves.

But a rascal of a child (that age is without pity).
[Fr., Mais un pripon d'enfant (cet age est sans pitie).

How wealthy the gods would be if we remembered the promises we made when we were in danger.

We ought to consider the end in everything.

The more wary you are of danger, the more likely you are to meet it.

A mountain in labour shouted so loud that everyone, summoned by the noise, ran up expecting that she would be delivered of a city bigger than Paris; she brought forth a mouse.

The strongest passion is fear.

We read on the foreheads of those who are surrounded by a foolish luxury, that fortune sells what she is thought to give.

Une ample Come die a' cent actes divers, Et dont la sce' ne est l'Univers. A grand comedy in one hundred different acts, On the stage of the universe.

A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.

We risk all in being too greedy.

The sign brings customers.

No path of flowers leads to glory.

The good, we do it; the evil, that is fortune; man is always right, and destiny always wrong.

Gentleness succeeds better than violence.

O tyrant love, when held by you,
We may to prudence bid adieu.
[Fr., Amour! Amour! quand tu nous tiens
On peut bien dire, Adieu, prudence.]

There's nothing sweeter than a real friend:
Not only is he prompt to lend
An angler delicate, he fishes
The very deepest of your wishes,
And spares your modesty the task
His friendly aid to ask.
A dream, a shadow, wakes his fear,
When pointing at the object dear.

It is said, that the thing you possess is worth more than two you may have in the future. The one is sure and the other is not.

We love good looks rather than what is practical, Though good looks may prove destructive.

Such gluttony second to none
Almost ended fatally
When a bone choked a wolf as he gulped what he ate

What is denominated discretion in man we call cunning in brutes.

Rely only on yourself; it is a common proverb.

What a wonderful thing it is to have a good friend. He identifies your innermost desires, and spares you the embarrassment of disclosing them to him yourself.

To live lightheartedly but not recklessly; to be gay without being boisterous; to be courageous without being bold; to show trust and cheerful resignation without fatalism - this is the art of living.

Our condition never satisfies us; the present is always the worst. Though Jupiter should grant his request to each, we should continue to importune him.

No favor can win gratitude from a cat.

Patience and time do more than strength or passion.

Every newspaper editor owes tribute to the devil.

Men of all ages have the same inclinations, over which reason exercises no control. Thus, wherever men are found, there are follies, ay, and the same follies.

We like to see others, but don't like others to see through us.

Beware, so long as you live, of judging men by their outward appearance.

Garde-toi, tant que tu vivras, De juger des gens sur la mine. Beware as long as you live, Of judging others according to appearance alone.

Every one turns his dreams into realities as far as he can; man is cold as ice to the truth, hot as fire to falsehood.

The worst time is always the present.

Nothing is more dangerous than a friend without discretion; even a prudent enemy is preferable.

All the brains in the world are powerless against the sort of stupidity that is in fashion.

If every man works at that for which nature fitted him, the cows will be well tended.

Nothing is so oppressive as a secret: women find it difficult to keep one long; and I know a goodly number of men who are women in this regard.

We become innocent when we are unfortunate.

Beware, so long as you live, or judging men by their outwards appearance.

Un auteur ga te tout quand il veut trop bien faire. An author spoils everything when he wants too much to do good.

Patience and perseverance at lengthAccomplish more than anger or brute strength.

Neither wealth or greatness render us happy.

Rogues are always found out in some way. Whoever is a wolf will act like a wolf, that is most certain.

Our destiny is frequently met in the very paths we take to avoid it.

It is impossible to please all the world and one's father.

Never sell the bear's skin before one has killed the beast.

We ought never to scoff at the wretched, for who can be sure of continued happiness?

Foxes are all tail, and women all tongue.

Everyone believes very easily whatever he fears or desires.