Friedrich Schiller: Quotes about love

Friedrich Schiller was German poet, philosopher, historian, and playwright. Explore interesting quotes on love.
Friedrich Schiller: 222   quotes 124   likes

“Have Love. Not love alone for one,
But men, as man, thy brothers call;
And scatter, like the circling sun,
Thy charities on all.”

Hope, Faith, and Love (c. 1786); also known as "The Words of Strength", as translated in The Common School Journal Vol. IX (1847) edited by Horace Mann, p. 386
Context: There are three lessons I would write, —
Three words — as with a burning pen,
In tracings of eternal light
Upon the hearts of men. Have Hope. Though clouds environ now,
And gladness hides her face in scorn,
Put thou the shadow from thy brow, —
No night but hath its morn. Have Faith. Where'er thy bark is driven, —
The calm's disport, the tempest's mirth, —
Know this: God rules the hosts of heaven,
The habitants of earth. Have Love. Not love alone for one,
But men, as man, thy brothers call;
And scatter, like the circling sun,
Thy charities on all. Thus grave these lessons on thy soul, —
Hope, Faith, and Love, — and thou shalt find
Strength when life's surges rudest roll,
Light when thou else wert blind.

“Sense of wrongs forget to treasure—
Brethren, live in perfect love!”

Chorus 6
An die Freude (Ode to Joy; or Hymn to Joy) (1785)
Context: Sense of wrongs forget to treasure—
Brethren, live in perfect love!
In the starry realms above,
God will mete as we may measure.

“It would be necessary that they should be already sages to love wisdom: a truth that was felt at once by him to whom philosophy owes its name.”

Letter 8; Variant: They would need to be already wise, in order to love wisdom.
On the Aesthetic Education of Man (1794)
Context: They have founded the whole structure of their happiness on these very illusions, which ought to be combated and dissipated by the light of knowledge, and they would think they were paying too dearly for a truth which begins by robbing them of all that has value in their sight. It would be necessary that they should be already sages to love wisdom: a truth that was felt at once by him to whom philosophy owes its name.

“What is life without the radiance of love?”

Act IV, sc. xii
Wallenstein (1798), Part II - Wallensteins Tod (The Death of Wallenstein)

“Welcome, all ye myriad creatures!
Brethren, take the kiss of love!”

Chorus 1
An die Freude (Ode to Joy; or Hymn to Joy) (1785)