Rabindranath Tagore

Indian poet, Nobel laureate

Modern influential 95 sayings

Sayings by Rabindranath Tagore

The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.

1916 — Stray Birds
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

The world has its leave-taking in the murmur of the sea.

1916 — Stray Birds
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

My mind is a vagrant, and I have no home.

early 20th century — Thought from a letter (commonly attributed, hard to trace exact letter)
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The water in the river is not the same water that was there a moment ago.

early 20th century — Paraphrase of a philosophical idea, exact quote hard to pinpoint
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The tree is a an endless prayer, said in the language of leaves.

early 20th century — Commonly attributed, exact source difficult to verify
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

God says to man: I created you because I love to be.

1916 — Stray Birds
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The world rushes on, and I am left behind, a solitary wanderer, dreaming of the past.

early 20th century — A common sentiment in his poetry, exact quote difficult to trace
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.

early 20th century — Often attributed to him, though the exact wording and source are debated.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The sleep of the ignorant is an awakening of the wise.

1916 — Stray Birds
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.

early 20th century — Commonly attributed, exact source difficult to verify but widely accepted.
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence.

1915 — Speech 'My School'
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.

1916 — Stray Birds
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

The less you have, the more free you are.

early 20th century — Commonly attributed, but specific source hard to pin down.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Love is an endless mystery, for it has nothing else to explain it.

early 20th century — Commonly attributed, exact source hard to verify.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The morning will come, the sun will rise, and we will try again.

early 20th century — Commonly attributed, but specific source hard to pin down.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The flower that has opened will not close.

1916 — Stray Birds
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The stars are not afraid to appear like fireflies.

1916 — Stray Birds
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Let your life lightly dance on the edges of time like dew on the tip of a leaf.

1916 — Stray Birds
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

The bird thinks it is an act of kindness to give freedom to a caged bird.

1916 — Stray Birds
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The world is a great book, of which they who never stir from home read only a page.

early 20th century — Commonly attributed, exact source difficult to verify.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable