Jihen chaaouri

“Le vent se lève! . . . il faut tenter de vivre!
L'air immense ouvre et referme mon livre,
La vague en poudre ose jaillir des rocs!
Envolez-vous, pages tout éblouies!
Rompez, vagues! Rompez d'eaux réjouies
Ce toit tranquille où picoraient des focs!”
― Paul Valéry, Le cimetière marin / El cementerio marino

“You're alive only once, as far as we know, and what could be worse than getting to the end of your life and realizing you hadn't lived it?”
― Edward Albee

“Je l'aimais beaucoup. On ne peut pas dire cela à son amoureux. Dommage. De ma part, l'aimer beaucoup, c'était beaucoup. Il me rendait heureuse. J'étais toujours joyeuse de le voir. J'avais pour lui de l'amitié, de la tendresse. Quand il n'était pas là, il ne me manquait pas. Telle était l'équation de mon sentiment pour lui et je trouvais cette histoire merveilleuse. C'est pourquoi je redoutais des déclarations qui eussent exigés une réponse ou, pire, une réciprocité.”
― Amélie Nothomb, Ni d'Ève ni d'Adam

“Each and every reader comprehends the Qur’an/ Bible on a different level in tandem with the depth of his understanding. There are 4 levels of insight. The first level is the outer meaning and it is the one that the majority of people are content with. Next is the Batum- the inner level. Third there is the inner of the inner. And the fourth level is so deep it cannot be put into words and is therefore bound to be indescribable. Scholars who focus on the Sharia/ Bible know the outer meaning. Sufis/ Lightworkers know the inner meaning. Saints know the inner of the inner. The fourth level is known by prophets and those closest to God. So don’t judge the way other people connect to God. To each his own way and his own prayer. God does not take us at our word but looks deep into our hearts. It is not the ceremonies or rituals that make a difference, but whether our hearts are sufficiently pure or not. (3)”
― Taken from The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak.