Zbigniew Herbert Quotes

I turn to history not for lessons but to confront my experience with the experience of others and to win for myself a sense of responsibility for the state of the human conscience.

Inanimate objects are always correct and cannot, unfortunately, be reproached with anything. I have never observed a chair shift from one foot to another, or a bed rear on its hind legs. And tables, even when they are tired, will not dare to bend their knees. I suspect that objects do this from pedagogical considerations, to reprove us constantly for our instability.

No time to grieve for roses when the forests are burning.

Even if we love someone very much, at times it happens that we forget about it.

The dead have need of fairy tales too.

I thank You Lord for creating the world beautiful and various and if this is Your seduction I am seduced for good and past all forgiveness

Study the world's skin before you set out to look for its heart.

Be courageous when the mind deceives you Be courageous In the final account only this is important

I could write a treatise on the sudden transformation of life into archaeology

forgive me also that I didn't fight like Lord Byron for the happiness of captive peoples that I watched only risings of the moon and museums