Theodor Storm > Quotes

“Between the shadows of the earth and the dark depths of the sky, human life lay slumbering, with all its unsolved puzzles.”
― Theodor Storm, Immensee

“Ich möchte schlafen, aber du mußt tanzen."

[Hyazinthen]”
― Theodor Storm, Gedichte

“Zwei Augen hat man nur und mit hundert soll man sehen”
― Theodor Storm, Der Schimmelreiter und andere Novellen (103 Titel in einem Band): Pole Poppenspäler + Sylter Novelle + Im Brauerhause + Marthe und ihre Uhr + Im Sonnenschein…

“[She was] a strange butterfly which had flown across his garden and which his eyes had continued to follow long after it had disappeared from sight.”
― Theodor Storm, Carsten Curator

“I heard nothing, but ever more clearly as the light of the half-moon grew sharper, I thought I could make out a dark shape, and soon, as it came nearer, I saw it. It sat on a horse, a high-boned, haggard white horse. A dark mantle fluttered across the figure's shoulders, and as he flew past, two burning eyes stared at me out of a pale face.”
― Theodor Storm, Der Schimmelreiter: Novelle

“Dem Sokrates gaben sie ein Gift zu trinken, und unseren Herrn Christus schlugen sie an das Kreuz! Das geht in den letzten Zeiten nicht mehr so leicht; aber - einen Gewaltsmenschen oder einen bösen stiernackigen Pfaffen zum Heiligen oder einen tüchtigen Kerl, nur weil er uns um Kopfeslänge überwachsen war, zum Spuk und Nachtgespenst zu machen - das geht noch alle Tage.”
― Theodor Storm, Der Schimmelreiter: Novelle

“Euere Schuld, Deichgraf!" schrie eine Stimme aus dem Haufen.”
― Theodor Storm, Der Schimmelreiter

“It was already late afternoon when Junker Hinrich rapidly descended the heathland path; but the more clearly the distant turreted lodge loomed up before him the slower became his pace. Its upper storey rose above the high wall that surrounded its courtyard, a wall built as protection against roaming beasts of prey, and its red gateway gleamed a long way off in the autumn sun. The heathland blooms had faded, but in their place the leaves of the oaks surrounding the building had already produced their bright colours. An intense silence reigned; the branches that stretched over the roof lay motionless on its dark brown pantiles.”
― Theodor Storm, Zur Chronik von Grieshuus

“Back in those days there was still an unbroken stretch of heath that lay on the route of our excursions, all that was left of a heath that once had extended almost up to the town on the one side and almost to the little village on the other. Here the honeybees and white-gray bumblebees hummed over the fragrant blossoms of heather, and the beautiful gold-green beetles ran among the plants; here in the sweet clouds of the erica and the resinous bushes hovered butterflies that could be found nowhere else on this earth.”
― Theodor Storm, Aquis Submersus

“And when the final Lord's Prayer had also been said, he took the deceased's daughter in his arms in front of everyone and held her firmly until he saw the pastor striding down the path on the way to his house. 'Come!' he said softly to the lovely girl, such that he was overheard only by an old woman next to him who looked up at him in puzzlement. And as though each knew the other's thoughts and were both of the same mind, they followed the pastor hand in hand to his house. 'Would you kindly marry us, Herr Pastor,' said the Junker, 'so that this girl may find a home in my heart.'
    And the old priest laid his trembling hands upon their heads.”
― Theodor Storm, Zur Chronik von Grieshuus

“Verloren

Was Holdes liegt mir in dem Sinn,
Das ich vor Zeit einmal besessen;
Ich weiß nicht, wo es kommen hin,
Auch, was es war, ist mir vergessen.

Vielleicht - am fernen Waldesrand,
Wo ich am lichten Junimorgen
- Die Kinder klein und klein die Sorgen -
Mit dir gesessen Hand in Hand,
Indes vom Fels die Quelle tropfte,
Die Amsel schallend schlug im Grund,
Mein Herz in gleichen Schlägen klopfte
Und glücklich lächelnd schwieg dein Mund;

In grünen Schatten lag der Ort -
Wenn nur der weite Raum nicht trennte,
Wenn ich nur dort hinüberkönnte,
Wer weiß! - vielleicht noch fänd ich's dort.”
― Theodor Storm, Gedichte

“Die Zeit Ist Hin

Die Zeit ist hin; du löst dich unbewußt
Und leise mehr und mehr von meiner Brust;
Ich suche dich mit sanftem Druck zu fassen,
Doch fühl' ich wohl, ich muß dich gehen lassen.

So laß mich denn, bevor du weit von mir
Ins Leben gehst, noch einmal danken dir;
Und magst du nie, was rettungslos vergangen,
In schlummerlosen Nächten heimverlangen.

Hier steh' ich nun und schaue bang zurück;
Vorüberrinnt auch dieser Augenblick,
Und wieviel Stunden dir und mir gegeben,
Wir werden keine mehr zusammenleben.”
― Theodor Storm, Gedichte

“Even today [in the narrator's time], an ancient lime tree can be seen here at the edge of the river valley; in spite of its completely hollow trunk its huge crown still sways in the wind. Here at that time the handsome couple would often be seen standing by it, hand in hand, looking out over the wide river valley while the summer wind blew through their blond hair, and in the evenings too when the cry of the wild swans could be heard as they flew down onto the water in the starlight.”
― Theodor Storm, Zur Chronik von Grieshuus