Happy birthday to Leon Tolstoï

Here are some beautiful, wise and deep thoughts about Love. Lucky are the few ones who recognize some of their reality in these words.

“I already love in you your beauty, but I am only beginning to love in you that which is eternal and ever precious- your heart, your soul. Beauty one could get to know and fall in love with in one hour and cease to love it as speedily; but the soul must learn to know. Believe me, nothing on earth is given without labour, even love, the most beautiful and natural of feelings. Forgive me this silly comparison: to love as the silly man does is to play a sonata without time, without accents, always with the pedal down, with emotion, thereby giving neither oneself nor others true pleasure. But in order to give oneself up to the emotion of music, one must first check oneself, labour, work, and, believe me, there is not a delight in life that can be had without work. But the more difficult the labour and hardship, the higher the reward. And there is a great work ahead of us- to understand one another and to preserve each other’s love and respect.

……………………………………………………………………………………………I guard my feeling as a treasure, because it alone is capable of uniting us firmly in all our views of life, and without this there is no love. We shall discuss calmly; I shall try to fathom each word of yours, and you will do the same, and I don’t doubt that we shall understand one another. All the conditions are favorable, and there is feeling and honesty on both sides. Argue with me, explain, teach me, seek explanations.”

Leave a Reply