Quotes from work
Os Lusíadas

Luís de Camões Original title Os Lusíadas (Portuguese, 1572)

Luís de Camões photo

“But an old man of venerable look
(Standing upon the shore amongst the crowds)
His eyes fixed upon us (on ship-board), shook
His head three times, overcast with sorrow's clouds:
And (straining his voice more, than well could brook
His aged lungs: it rattled in our shrouds)
Out of a science, practice did attest,
Let fly these words from an oraculous breast:O glory of commanding! O vain thirst
Of that same empty nothing we call fame!”

Stanzas 94–95 (tr. Richard Fanshawe); the Old Man of Restelo.
Epic poetry, Os Lusíadas (1572), Canto IV
Original: (pt) <p>Mas um velho d'aspeito venerando,
Que ficava nas praias, entre a gente,
Postos em nós os olhos, meneando
Três vezes a cabeça, descontente,
A voz pesada um pouco alevantando,
Que nós no mar ouvimos claramente,
C'um saber só de experiências feito,
Tais palavras tirou do experto peito:</p><p>Ó glória de mandar! Ó vã cobiça
Desta vaidade, a quem chamamos Fama!</p>O glory of commanding! O vain thirst
Of that same empty nothing we call fame!

Similar authors

Luís de Camões photo
Luís de Camões 69
Portuguese poet 1524–1580
Matthias Claudius photo
Matthias Claudius 1
German poet
Baruch Spinoza photo
Baruch Spinoza 210
Dutch philosopher
Samuel Butler (poet) photo
Samuel Butler (poet) 81
poet and satirist
Robert Burns photo
Robert Burns 114
Scottish poet and lyricist
Novalis photo
Novalis 102
German poet and writer
John Donne photo
John Donne 115
English poet
Alexander Pope photo
Alexander Pope 158
eighteenth century English poet
Johann Gottfried Herder photo
Johann Gottfried Herder 18
German philosopher, theologian, poet, and literary critic
Jean De La Fontaine photo
Jean De La Fontaine 47
French poet, fabulist and writer.