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Miguel de Cervantes

Miguel de Cervantes Quotes

Novelist

Miguel de Cervantes, a Spanish novelist, playwright, and poet, was born on September 29, 1547, and died on April 22, 1616. He is best known for his masterpiece, 'Don Quixote,' which is considered a classic of Western literature and has had a profound impact on literature worldwide.

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Famous Miguel de Cervantes Quotes

“Sancho Panza by name is my own self, if I was not changed in my cradle.”

Ifs Self Names Change My Own Changed Cradle

Book:The achievements of the ingenious gentleman, don Quixote de la Mancha. A tr. based on that of P.A. Motteux, with the memoir and notes of J.G. Lockhart

Source: The achievements of the ingenious gentleman, don Quixote de la Mancha. A tr. based on that of P.A. Motteux, with the memoir and notes of J.G. Lockhart

“For if he like a madman lived; At least he like a wise one died.”

Ifs Wise Died Miscellaneous Madmen

Book:Don Quixote

Source: Don Quixote

“The pitcher goes so often to the fountain that if gets broken.”

Ifs Results Broken Fountain Pitcher

Author:Miguel de Cervantes

“All sorrows are bearable, if there is bread.”

Ifs Sorrow Bread Bearable

Book:Sancho Panza's Proverbs: And Others which Occur in Don Quixote

Source: Sancho Panza's Proverbs: And Others which Occur in Don Quixote

“Anyone who does not know how to make the most of his luck has no right to complain if it passes by him.”

Ifs Knows Doe Know How Luck Complaining

Author:Miguel de Cervantes

“Sorrow was made for man, not for beasts; yet if men encourage melancholy too much, they become no better than beasts.”

Ifs Men Made Too Much Sorrow Beast Melancholy

Book:Wit and Wisdom of Don Quixote

Source: Wit and Wisdom of Don Quixote

“Evil comes not amiss if it comes alone.”

Book:Spanish Salt: A Collection of All the Proverbs which are to be Found in Don Quixote

Source: Spanish Salt: A Collection of All the Proverbs which are to be Found in Don Quixote

“If thou takest virtue for the rule of life, and valuest thyself upon acting in all things comfortably thereto, thou wilt have no cause to envy lords and princes; for blood is inherited, but virtue is common property, and may be acquired by all; it has, moreover, an intrinsic worth, which blood has not.”

Ifs May Causes Common Acting Lord Virtue Blood All Things Property Envy Thyself Rules Of Life

Author:Miguel de Cervantes

“And thus being totally preoccupied, he rode so slowly that the sun was soon glowing with such intense heat that it would have melted his brains, if he'd had any.”

Ifs Brain Sun Intense Heat Glowing

Author:Miguel de Cervantes

“I know who I am and who I may be, if I choose.”

Ifs Knows May Choices Who I Am

Author:Miguel de Cervantes

“I want you to see me naked and performing one or two dozen mad acts, which will take me less than half an hour, because if you have seen them with your own eyes, you can safely swear to any others you might wish to add.”

Ifs Want Two Might Eye Wish Hours Half Mad Add Naked Performing Take Me Dozen Swear I Want You

Author:Miguel de Cervantes

“The fear thou art in, Sancho," said Don Quixote, "prevents thee from seeing or hearing correctly, for one of the effects of fear is to derange the senses and make things appear different from what they are; if thou art in such fear, withdraw to one side and leave me to myself, for alone I suffice to bring victory to that side to which I shall give my aid;" and so saying he gave Rocinante the spur, and putting the lance in rest, shot down the slope like a thunderbolt.”

Ifs Giving Art Said Different Sides Seeing Effects Victory Shots Hearing Aids Senses Thee Leaving Me Spurs Slopes Thunderbolts

Book:Don Quixote (StoneHenge Classics): The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha

Source: Don Quixote (StoneHenge Classics): The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha

“A father may have a child who is ugly and lacking in all the graces, and the love he feels for him puts a blindfold over his eyes so that he does not see his defects but considers them signs of charm and intelligence and recounts them to his friends as if they were clever and witty.”

Ifs Feels May Children Doe Eye Father Grace Witty Ugly Clever His Eyes Charm Lacking Defects Blindfolds Clever And Witty

Book:Don Quixote

Source: Don Quixote

“If you are ambitious of climbing up to the difficult, and in a manner inaccessible, summit of the Temple of Fame, your surest way is to leave on one hand the narrow path of Poetry, and follow the narrower track of Knight-Errantry, which in a trice may raise you to an imperial throne.”

Ifs Way May Hands Difficult Path Fame Raises Track Temples Climbing Ambitious Thrones Summit Knights Inaccessible Narrow Path Climbing Up

Book:The history of Don Quixote de la Mancha

Source: The history of Don Quixote de la Mancha

“Nor has his death the world deceiv'd than his wondrous life surprise d; if he like a madman liv'd least he like a wise one dy'd.”

Ifs World Death Wise Surprise Madmen Wondrous

Author:Miguel de Cervantes

“By God and upon my conscience, said the devil, I never observed it, for my mind is occupied with so many different things that I was forgetting the main thing I came about. This demon must be an honest fellow and a good Christian, said Sancho; for if he wasn't he wouldn't swear by God and his conscience; I feel sure now there must be good souls even in hell itself.”

Source: Don Quixote of La Mancha (Full Text)/ Introductory analysis and literary poem by Atidem Aroha.

“Don Quixote followed nature, and being satisfied with his first sleep, did not solicit more. As for Sancho, he never wanted a second, for the first lasted him from night to morning, indicating a sound body and a mind free from care; but his master, being unable to sleep himself awakened him, saying, "I am amazed, Sancho, at the torpor of thy soul; it seems as if thou wert made of marble or brass, insensible of emotion or sentiment!”

Source: Adventures of Don Quixote de la Mancha