Meander with me . . .

Today is the birthday of Romain Rolland (January 29, 1866 – December 30, 1944), dramatist, novelist, essayist, art historian and mystic. In 1915, he received the Nobel Prize for Literature after the publication of his major work, Jean-Christophe.

"It is the artist's business to create sunshine when the sun fails." - Romain Rolland

"Be reverent before the dawning day. Do not think of what will be in a year, or in ten years. Think of to-day. Leave your theories. All theories, you see, even those of virtue, are bad, foolish, mischievous. Do not abuse life. Live in to-day. Be reverent towards each day. Love it, respect it, do not sully it, do not hinder it from coming to flower. Love it even when it is gray and sad like to-day. Do not be anxious. See. It is winter now. Everything is asleep. The good earth will awake again. You have only to be good and patient like the earth. Be reverent. Wait. If you are good, all will go well. If you are not, if you are weak, if you do not succeed, well, you must be happy in that. No doubt it is the best you can do. So, then, why will? Why be angry because of what you cannot do? We all have to do what we can. . . . Als ich kann." - Romain Rolland

"I find war detestable but those who praise it without participating in it even more so." - Romain Rolland

"Every man who is truly a man must learn to be alone in the midst of all others, and if need be against all others." - Romain Rolland


"One makes mistakes; that is life. But it is never a mistake to have loved." - Romain Rolland

"You are a vain fellow. You want to be a hero. That is why you do such silly things. A hero! ... I don't quite know what that is: but, you see, I imagine that a hero is a man who does what he can. The others do not do it." - Romain Rolland

Rolland image source (1)
Rolland stamp image source (1)