The 80 Best Phrases of Miguel De Cervantes

If we talk about “The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha”, we are referring to one of the greatest works of universal literature, being one of the most globally recognized stories in 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 located within the so-called Spanish golden age. There were multiple experiences that would mark him, such as his participation in war conflicts as well known as the battle of Lepanto (in which he lost the functionality of one hand) or his capture by the Turks and his imprisonment in Algiers.

Throughout his life the author would make multiple reflections regarding various life themes, visible in multiple fragments of his works. In this article we will review different phrases by Miguel de Cervantes that allow us to get closer to their way of thinking and seeing the world.

Great phrases and reflections by Miguel de Cervantes

Below is a small collection of great phrases by Miguel de Cervantes from his best-known works, which talk about various topics such as courage, love and hope.

1. In a place in La Mancha, whose name I don’t want to remember…

We introduce this small collection with the first of the phrases and one of the most remembered from Don Quixote de la Mancha.

2. What madness or folly leads me to recount other people’s faults, having so much to say about my own?

This phrase criticizes the hypocrisy of those who dare to judge others without first looking at themselves.

3. It is worth more on the face than the stain on the heart

This phrase pushes us to act as we believe is right even though it may affect us negatively.

4. The abundance of things, even if they are good, means that they are not valued, and the scarcity, even of bad things, is valued at something

Phrase that reminds us that we tend to value more what we do not have or what exists in small quantities, regardless of its real value.

5. Yesterday he cried who laughs today and today he who laughed yesterday cries

Things change continually, we should not take them for granted. We should not take advantage of the situation or people, because whoever is below us now may one day be above us.

6. Doing good to villains is pouring water into the sea

The author proposes that treating those who mistreat us well is useless and ineffective.

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 they do not imply the same thing.

8. If jealousy is a sign of love, it is like a fever in a sick man: 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 the heavens gave to men; With it, the treasures that land and sea contain cannot be equaled: for freedom, as well as for honor, one can and must venture one’s life.

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 failing, when in reality it allows us to see things in 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 keep

Committing to someone is easy, but fulfilling what was agreed is not so easy. We should not commit ourselves lightly. One of Miguel de Cervantes’ phrases based on the play on words

12. He who reads a lot and walks a lot, goes a lot and knows a lot

This phrase encourages us to live and experiment, being active instead of just letting time pass.

13. When anger comes from the mother, the tongue has no father, tutor or bridle to correct it.

The author refers to the fact that when faced with uncontrolled anger, many things are often said without thinking.

14. Perhaps the greatest joys tend to be hidden in plainness and humility.

It is the seemingly simplest things that make us the most excited and the happiest.

15. That is why I judge and discern, as a certain and well-known thing, that love has its glory at the gates of hell

Achieving love can involve great suffering and pain, but it is worth it. Furthermore, it is in our worst moments that we appreciate it most.

16. Give credit to works and not words

It’s easy to talk and promise, but what really has value is what we do.

17. Trust in time, which usually gives sweet solutions to many bitter difficulties

With time we can see things in perspective. Furthermore, elements will often be introduced into our lives that will allow us resolve or appreciate our conflicts differently

18. I want to be bad more with the hope of being good than good with the purpose of being bad.

No matter who we are, it is always better not to be well considered but to try to do good for others than the opposite.

19. There is no memory that time does not erase nor sorrow that death does not end

Everything happens. No matter how bad the situation is now, no matter how bad we are, someday over 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 when faced with 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 similar to us.

22. Each one is the architect of his own fortune

What we do in our lives is what marks what happens to us. We choose how to live.

23. Well-born people are grateful for the benefits they receive.

We must be aware of what others do for us, and be able to appreciate it.

24. Be neither always rigorous nor always soft and choose between these two extremes; That’s the point of discretion

Phrase that pushes us to be flexible and assertive, so that we can adapt to circumstances.

25. Do not desire and you will be the richest man in the world

Criticism of excessive ambition, which It does not allow us to see the beauty and joy of what we already have

26. I will not blame the donkey on the packsaddle

We should not attribute to others (whether people or objects) or to chance what is our responsibility.

27. Be slow with your tongue and quick with your eye

Phrase that pushes us to be able to analyze situations and think before speaking.

28. Praise is good when the person who says it is good, and it is bad when the person who praises it is bad and vicious.

A compliment is going to be good or bad depending on who says it to us and why. Each person sees the qualities that seem positive to them, so for example someone cruel could see said quality as praiseworthy.

29. Sleep is the relief of misery for those who suffer it while awake.

Dreaming allows us to imagine, fly, escape from pain. In addition, it also allows us to imagine and set goals to strive for.

30. The fool knows more in his own house than the wise man in someone else’s.

We have a better understanding of what happens in environments and situations in which we usually move than those who do not, regardless of our abilities.

31. A good repentance is the best medicine for diseases of the soul

Regretting what we have done wrong leads us to act accordingly in order to improve the situation.

32. Each one is as God made him, and even worse many times

Each of us has our way of being, of which we only show a small part. And frequently we show only our best part

33. There is no path that does not end, unless it is opposed by laziness and idleness

We can always move forward on our path 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; equalizes different states and becomes powerful like death

True love involves acceptance of the other and does not take into account the differences that may exist between both parties.

35. Ambition is rarely or never fulfilled other than by harming a third party.

Phrase that warns us that ambitious people generally cause damage (whether direct or indirect) to achieve their goals.

36. Walking the land and communicating with different people makes men discreet

Meet 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 made from ingenuity to ingenuity, from value to value, from beauty to beauty and from lineage to lineage are always hateful and ill-received?

The author reminds us that competitiveness and making comparisons are usually not pleasant for the person being compared.

38. One take is better than two I’ll give you

Again, we are told that promising is easy, but fulfilling is not so easy.

39. A company is usually a relief from misery.

The closeness of someone, especially someone you love, relieves any pain or suffering.

40. Revenge punishes, but does not remove guilt

Taking revenge can cause harm to the person who has done it to us, but this will not eliminate the pain they have caused us or return us to our original state.

41. There can be love without jealousy, but not without fear

Although jealousy is negative, It is normal that we fear losing what we love

42. The truth thins, but does not break

Being honest can lead to being rejected or assuming consequences for it, but it also allows us to act in accordance with what we believe is right.

43. The man well prepared for the fight has already achieved half a victory

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 is wide and spacious

It is easy to take shortcuts to get what we want. However, acting in accordance with our beliefs and what we consider correct is much more complicated, although more satisfying.

45. He who does not know how to enjoy adventure when it comes, should not complain if it happens.

Phrase that warns us that opportunities do not exist forever, but must be taken advantage of when they appear.

46. ​​This one they call Fortuna is a drunk and capricious woman, and above all blind, and thus she does not see what she is doing nor does she know who she knocks down.

Luck is something uncontrollable that can sometimes be on our side but sometimes it will be against us, bringing us closer and making it difficult for us to achieve our goals.

47. Be brief in your reasoning, because none of them are pleasant if they are long.

Overworking things will mean that both those who do them and those who listen 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 we have achieved and stagnate, but we must try to continue evolving and admire not what has already been done but what we are or will be capable of. We have to keep moving forward.

49. Ingratitude is the daughter of pride

Believing ourselves to be superior usually causes us to not appreciate what others do for us, assuming that they should do it.

50. Falsehood has wings and flies, and the truth follows it crawling, so that when people realize the deception it is already too late

It is easy to lie and pretend, but reaching the truth means having to dig and make an effort. Most people only look at appearances without delving into what may be behind them.

51. Eat little and dine less, because the health of the entire body is forged in the office of the stomach

Cervantes warns us against excesses in intake and nutrition.

52. Don’t you know that recklessness is not bravery?

Being brave means doing what we believe in even though we are afraid to do it, but this does not mean that we act without thinking.

53. In common misadventures, spirits are reconciled and friendships are strengthened.

Having to face a difficulty that affects many unites these people, facilitating their cooperation and the birth of affection.

54. A job 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 it

The author expresses his belief in the advancement of science, with those who do not know it being the ones who are most surprised and have the greatest doubts about it.

56. Modesty is a charm that doubles the charms of beauty

It is common that what is beautiful is not aware that it is beautiful his modesty being in many cases something that even makes him more beautiful.

57. Blessed is the one to whom heaven gave a piece of bread, without any obligation to thank anyone other than heaven itself.

The author tells us about the luck of those who have a gift, talent, quality or innate positive characteristic.

58. Necessity, as they say, is a master at subtleting ingenuity

It is when we have an urgent need that we usually apply our resources to the maximum.

59. Do not look in nests of yesteryear, for birds flying

Phrase that reflects that we should not expect that what we leave behind will be the same or as we expect, since time passes for everything and everyone.

60. In the art of seamanship, the simplest sailor knows more than the greatest scholar in the world.

Having more or less education 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, In both prose and poetry, we reflect part of our being and we express our deepest emotions and thoughts.

62. There is no content on earth, in my opinion, that is equal to achieving the lost freedom

With this phrase Cervantes refers to his captivity in Algiers.

63. An ounce of good fame is worth more than a pound of pearls

Being well-regarded is much more important than just getting money.

64. It is wanting to tie the tongues of those who curse, the same as wanting to put doors to the countryside

In other words, trying to silence criticism, complaints and rumors often only causes them to reproduce. The author proposes that it is a useless effort.

65. Music fixes broken spirits and relieves the work that comes from the spirit.

Cervantes tells us about the importance of music as an art that allows us to express feelings and make them resonate.

66. Evils that do not have the power to end life should not have the power to end patience

Everything has a solution, so we should not worry or worry excessively about problems.

67. She fights in me and conquers in me, and I live and breathe in her, and I have life and being

This phrase, which Don Quixote says talking about Dulcinea expresses the strength that love for his beloved gives to the character.

68. If you bend the rod of justice, let it not be with the weight of the gift but with the weight of mercy

The only reason why justice could not be applied is compassion for the circumstances that have led to the situation.

69. Love is invisible and comes and goes wherever it wants without anyone asking it to account for its actions.

Love is something that happens without much control over it, often falling in love with people we would never have thought we would.

70. It seems, Sancho, that there is no saying that is not true, because they are all sentences taken from the same experience, mother of all sciences.

This phrase reflects that within popular wisdom there is some truth and logic, this being what has ultimately generated its existence and expansion.

71. He who lives well preaches well.

People who have a higher standard of living are the ones who give the most lessons.

72. The greatest damage to human life consists of the language.

Talking for the sake of talking is never a good path to virtue.

73. Barcelona, ​​archive of courtesy, shelter for foreigners, hospital for the poor, homeland of the brave, revenge for the offended and pleasant correspondence of firm friendships, and unique in location and beauty.

One of the most remembered phrases from Don Quixote, a work in which multiple Spanish cities are described.

74. The advice of the poor, no matter how good it may be, is never accepted.

Cervantes knew how to portray in his magnum opus all the particularities of the society of his time.

75. Jealousy, knife of the firmest hopes!

All the emotions of the human soul were described perfectly by this great Spanish author.

76. Marriages of relatives have a thousand drawbacks.

Some of the phrases that we find in Don Quixote are fully valid today.

77. Whoever humbles himself, God exalts him.

The fear of God and religiosity have a special place in the work of Cervantes.

78. Virtue is more persecuted by the bad than loved by the good

The wicked sanction good actions with greater vigor with which the good praise them.

79. Weapons have as their object and purpose peace, which is the greatest good that men can desire in this life.

Cervantes fought in various military conflicts and knew the art of war perfectly.

80. Friendships that are true, no one can disturb them.

The best friendships last decades and are almost never broken.