Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotes by Heinrich Heine (German Poet, Writer)

Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (1797–1856) was a German poet and essayist. He is best known as the author of witty and subversive prose works, travel books, politics, and journalism. His liberal views and his attacks on orthodoxy made him a lightning rod among his contemporaries and successive generations.

Heine was born in Dusseldorf, which was then occupied by France and later became part of Prussia after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo in 1815. He received a doctorate of law from Gottingen and converted from Judaism to Lutheranism to improve his prospects for a post in government or at a university. He was, however, unsuccessful and took up writing. He achieved early literary with the publication of his first volume of Reisebilder (Travel Sketches; 1824) Die Harzeise (Journey through the Harz Mountains; 1826,) and with the volume of collected poems Buch der Lieder (Book of Songs; 1827.) The latter sold progressively well and was printed 13 times during Heine’s lifespan.

In 1831, Heine moved to Paris to report on the French Revolution and settled there permanently. After that, his works became more political and acerbic. By 1835, the German government had banned his works. Heine uncle and patron died in 1844, leaving Heine poor. Yet, he produced A Winter’s Tale (1844,) a fictionalized account of his 1843 visit to Germany, and a collection of poetry New Poems (1844.)

Heine’s later lyric poetry, collected in Romanzero (1851) and Gedichte 1853 und 1854 (Poems: 1853 and 1854,) are considered to be the best poems he ever wrote.

Franz Schubert, Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, and other composers set many of Heine’s early lyric poetry to music.

One of Heine’s most famous poems, “Die Lorelei,” based on a German fairytale of an enthralling, seducing mermaid who lures seamen to their death, was set to music by numerous composers, including Friedrich Silcher and Franz Liszt.

More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Heinrich Heine

In politics, as in life, we must above all things wish only for the attainable.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Politicians, Politics

Whatever tears one may shed, in the end one always blows one’s nose.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Cries, Crying

God will forgive me; that’s his business
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Forgiveness, Jobs

If the Romans had been obliged to learn Latin they would never have found time to conquer the world.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Language

God will forgive me the foolish remarks I have made about Him just as I will forgive my opponents the foolish things they have written about me, even though they are spiritually as inferior to me as Ito thee, O God.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Forgiveness

Whether a revolutions succeeds or fails people of great hearts will always be sacrificed to it.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Revolution, Revolutions, Revolutionaries

The lotus flower is troubled
At the sun’s resplendent light;
With sunken head and sadly
She dreamily waits for the night.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Flowers

A blaspheming Frenchman is a spectacle more pleasing to the Lord than a praying Englishman.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Britain

Sleep is lovely, death is better still, not to have been born is of course the miracle.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Sleep

Believe me, the much-praised lambs of humility would not bear themselves so meekly if they but possessed tiger’s claws.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Humility

What lies lurk in kisses.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Kiss

The artist is the child in the popular fable, every one of whose tears was a pearl. Ah! the world, that cruel step mother, beats the poor child the harder to make him shed more pearls.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Art

The men of the past had convictions, while we moderns have only opinions.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Opinions, Opinion

Poverty sits by the cradle of all our great men, and rocks them up to manhood; and this meager foster-mother remains their faithful companion throughout life.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Poverty

Ordinarily he was insane, but he had lucid moments when he was merely stupid.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Rich

Great genius takes shape by contact with another great genius, but, less by assimilation than by fiction.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Genius

Be entirely tolerant or not at all; follow the good path or the evil one. To stand at the crossroads requires more strength than you possess.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Tolerance

There is something marvelous in music. I might almost say it is, in itself, a marvel. Its position is somewhere between the region of thought and that of phenomena; a glimmering medium between mind and matter, related to both and yet differing from either. Spiritual, and yet requiring rhythm; material, and yet independent of space.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Music

God will forgive me, that’s his business.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Forgiveness

In these days we fight for ideas, and newspapers are our fortresses.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: News, Ideas

The spring’s already at the gate With looks my care beguiling; The country round appeareth straight A flower-garden smiling.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Spring

Oh what lies lurk in kisses!
—Heinrich Heine

Whenever books are burned men also in the end are burned.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Censorship

God will forgive me; that is His business.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Forgiveness

Experience is a good school, but the fees are high.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Experience

Perfumes are the feelings of flowers.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Flowers

Matrimony is the high sea for which no compass has yet to be invented.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Marriage

The Bible is the great family chronicle of the Jews.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Bible

While we are indifferent to our good qualities, we keep on deceiving ourselves in regard to our faults, until we come to look on them as virtues.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Self Respect, Self-Esteem

In the marvellous month of May
when all the buds were bursting,
then in my heart did
love arise.

In the marvellous month of May
when all the birds were singing,
then did I reveal to her
my yearning and longing.
—Heinrich Heine
Topics: Seasons

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