Antoine de Saint-Exupery Quotes

Children should be very understanding of grown-ups.[translation by Richard Howard]Children should always show great forbearance toward grown-up people.[translation by Katherine Woods][Les enfants doivent être très indulgents envers les grandes personnes.]

All grown-ups were once children first. But few of them remember it.[translation by Richard Howard]All grown-ups were once children – although few of them remember it.[translation by Katherine Woods][Toutes les grandes personnes ont d’abord été des enfants. (Mais peu d’entre elles s’en souviennent.)]

Straight ahead, you can’t go very far.[translation by Richard Howard]Straight ahead of him, nobody can go very far…[translation by Katherine Woods][Droit devant soi on ne peut pas aller bien loin…]

People haven’t time to learn anything. They buy things ready-made in stores. But since there are no stores where you can buy friends, people no longer have friends.[translation by Richard Howard]Men have no more time to understand anything. They buy things all ready made at the shops. But there is no shop anywhere where one can buy friendship, and so men have no friends any more.[translation by Katherine Woods][Les hommes n’ont plus le temps de rien connaître. Il achètent des choses toutes faites chez les marchands. Mais comme il n’existe point de marchands d’amis, les hommes n’ont plus d’amis.]

Only the children know what they’re looking for.[Les enfants seuls savent ce qu’ils cherchent.]

Language is the source of misunderstandings.[translation by Richard Howard]Words are the source of misunderstandings.[translation by Katherine Woods][Le langage est source de malentendus.]

“Why are you drinking?” the little prince asked.
“To forget,” replied the drunkard.
“To forget what?” inquired the little prince, who was already feeling sorry for him.
“To forget that I’m ashamed,” confessed the drunkard, hanging his head.
“What are you ashamed of?” inquired the little prince, who wanted to help.
“Of drinking!”[translation by Richard Howard]“Why are you drinking?” demanded the little prince.
“So that I may forget,” replied the tippler.
“Forget what?” inquired the little prince, who already was sorry for him.
“Forget that I am ashamed,” the tippler confessed, hanging his head.
“Ashamed of what?” insisted the little prince, who wanted to help him.
“Ashamed of drinking!”[translation by Katherine Woods][ Pourquoi bois-tu? – lui demanda le petit prince.
– Pour oublier – répondit le buveur.
– Pour oublier quoi? – s’enquit le petit prince qui déjà le plaignait.
– Pour oublier que j’ai honte – avoua le buveur en baissant la tête.
– Honte de quoi? – s’informa le petit prince qui désirait le secourir.
-Honte de boire!]

You’re lovely, but you’re empty. One couldn’t die for you.[translation by Richard Howard]You are beautiful, but you are empty. One could not die for you.[translation by Katherine Woods][Le langaVous êtes belles mais vous êtes vides – leur dit-il encore -. On ne peut pas mourir pour vous.]

You must never listen to flowers. You must look at them and smell them.[translation by Richard Howard]One never ought to listen to the flowers.One should simply look at them and breathe their fragrance.[translation by Katherine Woods][Il ne faut jamais écouter les fleurs. Il faut les regarder et les respirer.]

You know, when you’re feeling very sad, sunsets are wonderful…[translation by Richard Howard]You know-one loves the sunset, when one is so sad…[translation by Katherine Woods][Tu sais… quand on est tellement triste on aime les couchers de soleil…]

When you’ve finished washing and dressing each morning, you must tend your planet.[translation by Richard Howard]When you’ve finished your own toilet in the morning, then it is time to attend to the toilet of your planet, just so, with the greatest care.[translation by Katherine Woods][Quand on a terminé sa toilette du matin, il faut faire soigneusement la toilette de la planète.]

When you look up at the sky at night, since I’ll be living on one of them, since I’ll be laughing on one of them, for you it’ll be as if all the stars are laughing.[translation by Richard Howard]In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars were laughing, when you look at the sky at night…[translation by Katherine Woods][Quand tu regarderas le ciel, la nuit, puisque j’habiterai dans l’une d’elles, puisque je rirai dans l’une d’elles, alors ce sera pour toi comme si riaient toutes les étoiles. ]