Mika Waltari > Quotes

“Even were the time to come when there would be neither poor nor rich, yet there will always be wise and stupid, sly and simple, for so there have ever been and ever will be. The strong man sets his foot on the neck of the weakling; the cunning man runs off with the simpleton's purse and sets the dunce to work for him. Man is a crooked dealer and even his virtue is imperfect. Only he who lies down never to rise again is wholly good.”
― Mika Waltari, سینوهه

“I, SINUHE, the son of Senmut and of his wife Kipa, write this. I do not write it to the glory of the gods in the land of Kem, for I am weary of gods, nor to the glory of the Pharaohs, for I am weary of their deeds. I write neither from fear nor from any hope of the future but for myself alone. During my life I have seen, known, and lost too much to be the prey of vain dread; and, as for the hope of immortality, I am as weary of that as I am of gods and kings. For my own sake only I write this; and herein I differ from all other writers, past and to come.”
― Mika Waltari, سینوهه

“Tuhat kirjaa luettuaan ihminen alkaa aavistaa masentavan totuuden. Kymmenentuhatta kirjaa tekee hänet surulliseksi”
― Mika Waltari

“Sinuhe, my friend, we have been born into strange times. Everything is melting – changing its shape – like clay on a potter’s wheel. Dress is changing, words, customs are changing, and people no longer believe in the gods – though they may fear them. Sinuhe, my friend, perhaps we were born to see the sunset of the world, for the world is already old, and twelve hundred years have passed since the building of the pyramids. When I think of this, I want to bury my head in my hands and cry like a child.”
― Mika Waltari, سینوهه

“So foolish is the heart of man that he ever puts his hope in the future, learning nothing from his past errors and fancying that tomorrow must be better than today.”
― Mika Waltari, The Egyptian

“For I, Sinuhe, am a human being. I have lived in everyone who existed before me and shall live in all who come after me. I shall live in human tears and laughter, in human sorrow and fear, in human goodness and wickedness, in justice and injustice, in weakness and strength. As a human being I shall live eternally in mankind. I desire no offerings at my tomb and no immortality for my name. This was written by Sinuhe, the Egyptian, who lived alone all the days of his life.”
― Mika Waltari, The Egyptian

“And what will be their fate?” he asked. “Forgive me master, but I am curious to know, so that my heart may prepare itself.”

“Flesh without spirit,” I said. “Life without hope, the slavery of mankind-a bondage so hopeless that slaves will no longer know they are slaves. Wealth without happiness, abundance without the power to enjoy it. The death of the spirit.”
― Mika Waltari , The Dark Angel

“‎La verdad es un cuchillo afilado, la verdad es una llaga incurable, la verdad es un ácido corrosivo. Por esto durante los días de su juventud y de su fuerza, el hombre huye de la verdad hacia las casas de placer y se ciega con el trabajo y con una actividad febril, con viajes y diversiones, con el poder y las destrucciones. Pero viene un día en que la verdad lo atraviesa como un venablo y ya no siente más el júbilo de pensar o trabajar con sus manos, sino que se encuentra solo, en medio de sus semejantes, y los dioses no aportan ningún alivio a su soledad.”
― Mika Waltari, Sinuhe egyptiläinen

“Jokainen on nähnyt, miten vesi juoksee vesikellosta. Samalla tavoin kuluu ihmisen aika, mutta ihmisen aikaa ei voi mitata vesikellon mukaan, vaan ainoastaan kaiken sen mukaan mitä ihmiselle tapahtuu. Tämä on suuri ja ylevä totuus ja täysin ihminen ymmärtää sen vasta vanhuutensa päivinä, jolloin hänen aikansa juoksee hukkaan eikä hänelle enää tapahdu mitään, vaikka hän luulee paljonkin tapahtuvan ja vasta jälkeenpäin huomaa, ettei mitään ole tapahtunut. Sillä kun ihmiselle tapahtuu paljon ja hänen sydämensä muuttuu ja vaihtaa muotoaan, silloin voi yksi ainoa päivä olla hänelle pitempi kuin vuosi ja kaksi vuotta, jotka hän tekee työtä ja elää yksinkertaista elämää itse muuttumatta.”
― Mika Waltari, سینوهه

“Today I saw you and spoke to you for the first time.
It was like an earthquake; everything in me was overturned, the graves of my heart were opened and my own nature was strange to me.
I am forty, and I believed I had reached the autumn of life.
I had wandered far, known much and lived many lives. The Lord had spoken to me, manifesting Himself in many ways; to me angels had revealed themselves and I had not believed them. But when I saw you I was compelled to believe, because of the miracle that happened to me.”
― Mika Waltari, The Dark Angel

“I had not learned then that death avoids a man who desires it, to snatch at him whose heart holds fast to life.”
― Mika Waltari

“Puheesi on kuin kärpäsen surinaa korvissani.”
― Mika Waltari, سینوهه

“He who once drunk of Nile water will forever yearn to be by the Nile again.”
― Mika Waltari, The Egyptian

“Mutta paadutin sydämeni kuulemasta näitä ääniä, sillä rakastin häntä, vaikka hän oli hullu, ja kenties rakastin häntä juuri hänen hulluutensa tähden, sillä hänen hulluutensa oli kauniimpi kuin muiden ihmisten viisaus.”
― Mika Waltari, سینوهه

“Sometimes it might be kinder to kill a man, than to take his dreams from him.”
― Mika Waltari, Egipcjanin Sinuhe, tom 2

“My spirit welled up in its joy because I asked myself "why?" The dread key to all true knowledge is "why?”
― Mika Waltari, The Egyptian

“There is no difference between one man and another, for all are born naked into the world. A man cannot be measured by the colour of his skin, or by his speech, or by his clothes and jewels, but only by his heart. A good man is better than a bad man, and justice is better than injustice--and that is all I know.”
― Mika Waltari, The Egyptian

“Viinituvista ja ilotaloista kantautui kaduille Syyrian rämisevä musiikki ja yhä enemmän vieraita sanoja kuului kaduilla ja yhä julkeammin tunkeutuivat syyrialaiset ja rikkaat neekerit egyptiläisten joukkoon. Egyptin rikkaus ja mahtavuus oli ääretön eikä vihollinen vuosisatoihin ollut astunut sen kaupunkeihin, ja keski-ikään olivat jo ehtineet miehet, jotka koskaan eivät olleet kokeneet sotaa. Mutta tuottiko se enemmän iloa ihmisille, sitä en tiennyt, sillä kaikkien katse oli levoton ja kaikilla oli kiire ja kaikki odottivat jotakin uutta tyytymättä tähän päivään.”
― Mika Waltari, سینوهه

“[K]rokotiili on peloittavan viisas ja viekas kala.”
― Mika Waltari, سینوهه

“Cada cual busca en sus creencias un consuelo a las contrariedades y reveses de la vida.”
― Mika Waltari, Sinuhé, el egipcio

“Ja äkkiä tulee taas niin suuri rauha mieleen. Katkeruus sulaa yleväksi suuruuden tunteeksi. Tuska ja ahdistus hälvenee. Näen selittämättömän, salamyhkäisen yksilöllisyyden hehkuvana virtana pulppuavan jokaisen ihmisen kuoressa. Sitä ympäröi aineen tekojen, tottumusten, velvollisuuksien, tyytymättömyyden, masennuksen, pelon ja vihan kuori. Mutta jossakin se pulppuaa ihmisolemuksen salaisista uumenista. Ja ihmeellisenä, epäolevaisena hetkenä ihminen tajuaa suuren elämänkokonaisuuden. Tuollainen häviävä hetki on kokonaisen elämän arvoinen.”
― Mika Waltari, Joulutarinoita

“Sin embargo, fui ciego y sordo hasta el momento en que tuve una iluminación como antaño, durante mi infancia, cuando las imágenes, las palabras y las letras cobraron vida para mí. Un día mis ojos se abrieron, me desperté como de un sueño y con el espíritu desbordante de alegría me pregunté: «¿Por qué?» Porque la temida clave de todo verdadero saber es la pregunta: «¿Por qué?» Esta palabra es más fuerte que la caña de Thoth y más poderosa que las inscripciones grabadas sobre la piedra.”
― Mika Waltari, Egipcjanin Sinuhe, tom 1

“Ha habido siempre guerras y las habrá siempre, porque los pueblos necesitan poner sus fuerzas a prueba para vivir”
― Mika Waltari, Egipcjanin Sinuhe, tom 1

“Gdyż człowiek w swej złości jest okrutniejszy i bardziej zatwardziały
niż krokodyle Rzeki. Jego serce jest twardsze niż kamień. Jego
próżność jest lżejsza niż pył. Zanurz go w wodzie, a gdy odzież jego
wyschnie, będzie taki sam jak przedtem. Pogrąż go w trosce i w rozczarowaniu, a gdy się znów podniesie, będzie taki sam jak przedtem.”
― Mika Waltari, Egipcjanin Sinuhe, tom 1

“Oricine a privit nisipul care curge într-o clepsidră. Viaţa unui om curge la fel, dar nu poate fi măsurată cu nici o clepsidră. Pentru fiecare om există o măsură unică şi ceea ce i se întâmplă unui om nu i se poate întâmpla altui om. Din păcate, acest mare şi sublim adevăr nu poate fi înţeles în întregime decât la bătrâneţe, când timpul este deja risipit, când nimic esenţial nu mai urmează să se întâmple. Atunci când unui om i se întâmplă multe şi când inima lui este încercată de neaşteptate schimbări, o singură zi poate fi mai lungă decât un an sau doi de viaţă simplă şi monotonă.”
― Mika Waltari, سینوهه

“With the approach of age the soul flies like a bird back to the days of childhood. Now those days shine bright and clear in my memory until it seems as if everything then must have been better, lovelier than in the world of today. In this rich and poor do not differ, for there is surely none so destitute but his childhood shows some glint of happiness when he remembers it in age.”
― Mika Waltari, The Egyptian

“...moteris panaši į katę, kaip ir aistra panaši į katę. Jos letenėlės minkštos, tačiau slepia aštrius nagelius, negailestingai susmingančius iki širdies. Moteris iš tiesų panaši į katę, nes katei taip pat malonu vilioti auką ir nageliais suteikti jai skausmo, tas žaidimas jai niekada nepabosta. Vos aukai susmukus, katė ją suėda ir tipena ieškoti naujos aukos.”
― Mika Waltari, سینوهه

“Tus palabras son como un zumbido de moscas en mis oídos”
― Mika Waltari, The Egyptian

“As a man I had to provide my own purpose in life, and probably nothing is more difficult. It is easier to beget children and to thrust the responsibility on them while washing one's own hands.”
― Mika Waltari, The Etruscan

“Turn, O you years_roll again, you vanished years_sail, Ammon, from west to east across the heavens and bring again my youth! Not one word of it will I alter, not my least action will I amend. O brittle pen, smooth papyrus, give me back my folly and my youth!”
― Mika Waltari, The Egyptian