Art & illustration1 min read
Landscape of the Four Seasons
Landscape of the Four Seasons. Pair of six-panel screens; ink and slight color on paper.
Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910) · English
Yi Sumun (Korean, b. c. 1404)
A little room to breathe.
There is more to a day than keeping up. Spend a moment with an artist, a poem, a short reading or a piece of music. Meet different places, languages and ways of seeing.
Landscape of the Four Seasons · Yi Sumun (Korean, b. c. 1404) · late 1400sKorea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
A FEW WORDS TO KEEP
The claims of contemporary art cannot be ignored in any vital scheme of life.
From The Book of Tea
Kakuzō Okakura · Japanese
Find your moment.
A fresh selection each day. Original dates stay with each work.A short reading1 min read
Loose Papers · a short reading
A passage from Loose Papers.
Brazilian · English
Machado de Assis
A quotation1 min read
The claims of contemporary art cannot be ignored in any vital scheme of life.
From The Book of Tea.
Japanese · English
Kakuzō Okakura
Music16 min listen
Rimsky-Korsakov, Russian Easter Festival Overture, Op. 36
A recording of music by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. 15 minutes to listen.
Russian · English
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Poetry1 min read
The Gardener · 48
The Gardener · 48, by Rabindranath Tagore. Translated by Rabindranath Tagore.
Indian · Bengali · English
Rabindranath Tagore
Music7 min listen
Johannes Brahms - Op.45 A German Requiem - (05) You now have sorrow
A recording of music by Johannes Brahms. 6 minutes to listen.
German · English
Johannes Brahms
A quotation1 min read
Gaps are left in life through which comes the sad music of death.
From Stray Birds. Translation by Rabindranath Tagore.
Indian · Bengali · English
Rabindranath Tagore
Art & illustration1 min read
Female Figurine
Female Figurine. earthenware with pigment.
Mesoamerica, Mexico, Guanajuato, Chupícuaro · English
Artist unknown
Poetry1 min read
On First Looking Into Chapman's Homer
A poem by John Keats.
English · English
John Keats
A short reading1 min read
White Nights · a short reading
A passage from White Nights. Translated by Constance Garnett.
Russian · English
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
A quotation1 min read
For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.
From The Prophet.
Lebanese–American · English
Kahlil Gibran
Music8 min listen
Bartok Op. 17, Second Movement
A recording of music by Béla Bartók. 7 minutes to listen.
Hungarian · English
Béla Bartók
Poetry1 min read
The Gardener · 69
The Gardener · 69, by Rabindranath Tagore. Translated by Rabindranath Tagore.
Indian · Bengali · English
Rabindranath Tagore
Art & illustration1 min read
Portrait of Charlotte and Sarah Carteret-Hardy
Portrait of Charlotte and Sarah Carteret-Hardy. oil on canvas.
England, early 19th Century · English
Thomas Lawrence (British, 1769–1830)
A short reading1 min read
Thus Spake Zarathustra · a short reading
A passage from Thus Spake Zarathustra. Translated by Thomas Common.
German · English
Friedrich Nietzsche
Poetry1 min read
The Little Vagabond
A poem by William Blake.
English · English
William Blake
A short reading1 min read
Relíquias de Casa Velha · a short reading
A passage from Relíquias de Casa Velha.
Brazilian · English
Machado de Assis
Music4 min listen
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition Part1
A recording of music by Modest Mussorgsky. 3 minutes to listen.
Russian · English
Modest Mussorgsky
A quotation1 min read
When all the strings of my life will be tuned, my Master, then at every touch of thine will come out the music of love.
From Stray Birds. Translation by Rabindranath Tagore.
Indian · Bengali · English
Rabindranath Tagore
Art & illustration1 min read
April (No. 706)
April (No. 706). silk: plain weave, roller printed.
America, New York · English
Clayton Knight (American, 1891–1969) · Stehli Silks Corporation (United States; Pennsylvania, Lancaster; and New York, New York, 1840–c. 1955)
Poetry1 min read
Rubáiyát · LXXV
Rubáiyát · LXXV, by Omar Khayyam, after Edward FitzGerald. Translated by Edward FitzGerald.
Iranian · Persian · English
Omar Khayyam, after Edward FitzGerald
Art & illustration1 min read
Dragons Chasing Flaming Pearls
Dragons Chasing Flaming Pearls. silk and gold thread: tapestry.
Central China · English
Artist unknown
Music2 min listen
08 - As He Spoke
A recording of music by Antonio Vivaldi. 2 minutes to listen.
Italian · English
Antonio Vivaldi
A short reading1 min read
Walden · a short reading
A passage from Walden.
American · English
Henry David Thoreau
A quotation1 min read
Keep life and lose those other things; Keep them and lose your life:--which brings Sorrow and pain more near?
From Tao Te Ching. Translation by James Legge.
Chinese · English
Laozi (traditional attribution)
Art & illustration1 min read
Virgin and Child Enthroned
Virgin and Child Enthroned. tempera and gold on wood.
Italy, Tuscany · English
Battista di Biagio Sanguigni (Italian, active 1393–1451)
Music3 min listen
Lysenko—God, the great and the only one
A recording of music by Mykola Lysenko. 2 minutes to listen.
Ukrainian · English
Mykola Lysenko
A quotation1 min read
The name of the artist is more important to them than the quality of the work.
From The Book of Tea.
Japanese · English
Kakuzō Okakura
Poetry1 min read
Sonnet I
A poem by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Scottish · English
Robert Louis Stevenson
A short reading1 min read
Loose Papers · a short reading
A passage from Papéis Avulsos.
Brazilian · English
Machado de Assis
Art & illustration1 min read
Cap with Striped Inscribed Silk
Cap with Striped Inscribed Silk. Silk.
Mamluk Sultanate (Egypt or Syria) · English
Artist unknown
Poetry1 min read
In Praise Of Henna
In Praise Of Henna, by Sarojini Naidu.
Indian · English
Sarojini Naidu
A short reading1 min read
Meditations · a short reading
A passage from Meditations. Translated by Méric Casaubon.
Roman · English
Marcus Aurelius
A quotation1 min read
A state may be ruled by (measures of) correction; weapons of war may be used with crafty dexterity; (but) the kingdom is made one's own (only) by freedom from action and purpose.
From Tao Te Ching. Translation by James Legge.
Chinese · English
Laozi (traditional attribution)
Music2 min listen
Fanfares of President of the Czech Republic
A recording of music by Bedřich Smetana. 1 minutes to listen.
Czech · English
Bedřich Smetana
Poetry1 min read
A Palace Story
A Palace Story, by Po Chu-i. Translated by L. Cranmer-Byng.
Chinese · English
Po Chu-i
A quotation1 min read
It is the wisdom of the fox, that thrusts out the badger, who digged and made room for him.
From Essays.
English · English
Francis Bacon
Art & illustration1 min read
Sanjo Kantaro II in the Role of Urashima Taro
Sanjo Kantaro II in the Role of Urashima Taro. hanging scroll; ink and color on paper.
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868) · English
Kaigetsudō Ando (Japanese, c. 1671–1743)
Music4 min listen
F. Schubert. On the River (in Ukrainian).ogv
A recording of music by Franz Schubert. 3 minutes to listen.
Austrian · English
Franz Schubert
A short reading1 min read
Loose Papers · a short reading
A passage from Loose Papers.
Brazilian · English
Machado de Assis
A quotation1 min read
A lake is the landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature.
From Walden.
American · English
Henry David Thoreau
Art & illustration1 min read
Bahram Gur Arrives at the House of a Merchant, text page (recto); Bahram Gur Slays a Dragon (verso), from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (940–1019 or 1025), known as the Great Mongol Shahnama
Bahram Gur Arrives at the House of a Merchant, text page (recto); Bahram Gur Slays a Dragon (verso), from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (940–1019 or 1025), known as the Great Mongol Shahnama. opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper.
Iran, Tabriz, Ilkhanid period (1256-1353) · English
Artist unknown
Poetry1 min read
I Dreamed Of Forest Alleys fair
A poem by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Scottish · English
Robert Louis Stevenson
A short reading1 min read
Dhammapada · a short reading
A passage from Dhammapada. Translated by F. Max Müller.
South Asian · early Buddhist tradition · English
Traditional Buddhist verse
Music7 min listen
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition Part 7
A recording of music by Modest Mussorgsky. 6 minutes to listen.
Russian · English
Modest Mussorgsky
A quotation1 min read
For hatred does not cease by hatred at any time: hatred ceases by love, this is an old rule.
From Dhammapada. Translation by F. Max Müller.
South Asian · early Buddhist tradition · English
Traditional Buddhist verse
Art & illustration1 min read
Portraits of Jean Terford David and Mary Sicard David
Portraits of Jean Terford David and Mary Sicard David. oil on canvas.
America · English
Thomas Sully (American, born England, 1783–1872)
Music4 min listen
Rondeau & Campell - Vivaldi's The Harmonic Inspiration, Concerto No. 9, RV 230 - II. Larghetto (Trumpet & Organ)
A recording of music by Antonio Vivaldi. 3 minutes to listen.
Italian · English
Antonio Vivaldi
A short reading1 min read
Tao Te Ching · a short reading
A passage from Tao Te Ching. Translated by James Legge.
Chinese · English
Laozi (traditional attribution)
Poetry1 min read
Songs of Kabir · XXXI
Songs of Kabir · XXXI, by Kabir. Translated by Rabindranath Tagore.
Indian · North Indian poetic tradition · English
Kabir
A quotation1 min read
It is the wisdom of crocodiles, that shed tears when they would devour.
From Essays.
English · English
Francis Bacon
Music5 min listen
Chopin-Lullaby
A recording of music by Frédéric Chopin. 4 minutes to listen.
Polish–French · English
Frédéric Chopin
A short reading1 min read
The Enchiridion · a short reading
A passage from The Enchiridion. Translated by Thomas Wentworth Higginson.
Greek · Roman-era philosopher · English
Epictetus
Poetry1 min read
To a Locomotive in Winter.
A poem by Walt Whitman.
American · English
Walt Whitman
Art & illustration1 min read
Saint Ambrose
Saint Ambrose. oil on canvas.
Spain · English
Francisco de Goya (Spanish, 1746–1828)
Art & illustration1 min read
The Virgin Crowned by Angels
The Virgin Crowned by Angels. oil on wood.
Germany, Cologne · English
Stefan Lochner (German, 1400-c. 1452)
A short reading1 min read
The Book of Tea · a short reading
A passage from The Book of Tea.
Japanese · English
Kakuzō Okakura
Poetry1 min read
The Poet's Vision
The Poet's Vision, by Ssu-K`ung T`u. Translated by L. Cranmer-Byng.
Chinese · English
Ssu-K`ung T`u
Music5 min listen
Sergei Rachmaninoff - Etudes-Tableaux, Op. 39, No. 5
A recording of music by Sergei Rachmaninoff. 4 minutes to listen.
Russian–American · English
Sergei Rachmaninoff
A quotation1 min read
Let your music, like a sword, pierce the noise of the market to its heart.
From Stray Birds. Translation by Rabindranath Tagore.
Indian · Bengali · English
Rabindranath Tagore
Art & illustration1 min read
Parrot
Parrot. earthenware with lustre glazes.
Hungary · English
Zsolnay Factory (Hungarian)
Music7 min listen
Dvorak American Quartet 1st Movement Seraphina
A recording of music by Antonin Dvorak. 6 minutes to listen.
Czech · English
Antonín Dvořák
Poetry1 min read
The Poet's Love-Song
The Poet's Love-Song, by Sarojini Naidu.
Indian · English
Sarojini Naidu
A quotation1 min read
When a reconciliation is effected (between two parties) after a great animosity, there is sure to be a grudge remaining (in the mind of the one who was wrong).
From Tao Te Ching. Translation by James Legge.
Chinese · English
Laozi (traditional attribution)
A short reading1 min read
Timaeus · a short reading
A passage from Timaeus. Translated by Benjamin Jowett.
Greek · English
Plato
Poetry1 min read
Stanzas
A poem by John Keats.
English · English
John Keats
Music3 min listen
I loved my sorrow
A recording of music by Sergei Rachmaninoff. 2 minutes to listen.
Russian–American · English
Sergei Rachmaninoff
A quotation1 min read
Of the same nature is sickness and death; slander, and lying in wait, and whatsoever else ordinarily doth unto fools use to be occasion either of joy or sorrow.
From Meditations. Translation by Méric Casaubon.
Roman · English
Marcus Aurelius
Art & illustration1 min read
Two-faced Carpet Fragment
Two-faced Carpet Fragment. senna knot.
Iran ?, Seljuq period (1037–1194) · English
Artist unknown
A short reading1 min read
In Love With the Czarina · a short reading
A passage from In Love With the Czarina. Translated by Louis Felbermann.
Hungarian · English
Mór Jókai
A short reading1 min read
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland · a short reading
A passage from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
English · English
Lewis Carroll
Poetry1 min read
Tranquil Repose
Tranquil Repose, by Ssu-K`ung T`u. Translated by L. Cranmer-Byng.
Chinese · English
Ssu-K`ung T`u
Music12 min listen
Bedřich Smetana - My Homeland - III. Šárka
A recording of music by Bedřich Smetana. 11 minutes to listen.
Czech · English
Bedřich Smetana
Art & illustration1 min read
Icon of the Mother of God and Infant Christ (Virgin Eleousa)
Icon of the Mother of God and Infant Christ (Virgin Eleousa). tempera and gold on wood.
Republic of Venice, Kingdom of Candia, Candia (Heraklion, Crete, Greece) or Byzantine Empire, Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) · English
attributed to Angelos Akotantos (Cretan, died 1450)
A quotation1 min read
I have dipped the vessel of my heart into this silent hour; it has filled with love.
From Stray Birds. Translation by Rabindranath Tagore.
Indian · Bengali · English
Rabindranath Tagore
Art & illustration1 min read
Qur'an Manuscript Folio (verso)
Qur'an Manuscript Folio (verso). ink, gold, and color on parchment.
Southern Spain · English
Artist unknown
A quotation1 min read
The truly beautiful must always be in it.
From The Book of Tea.
Japanese · English
Kakuzō Okakura
Music2 min listen
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition Part3
A recording of music by Modest Mussorgsky. 1 minutes to listen.
Russian · English
Modest Mussorgsky
Poetry1 min read
At Home
A poem by Christina Rossetti.
English · English
Christina Rossetti
A short reading1 min read
In Love With the Czarina · a short reading
A passage from In Love With the Czarina. Translated by Louis Felbermann.
Hungarian · English
Mór Jókai
A short reading1 min read
Essays · a short reading
A passage from Essays.
English · English
Francis Bacon
Poetry2 min read
Divan of Hafiz · XIII
Divan of Hafiz · XIII, by Hafiz. Translated by Gertrude Bell.
Iranian · Persian · English
Hafiz
Art & illustration1 min read
Saying Farewell at Xunyang (Song of the Pipa)
Saying Farewell at Xunyang (Song of the Pipa). handscroll; ink and color on paper.
China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644) · English
Wen Boren (Chinese, 1502–1575)
A quotation1 min read
My friend, thou art good and cautious and wise; nay, thou art perfect--and I, too, speak with thee wisely and cautiously.
From The Madman.
Lebanese–American · English
Kahlil Gibran
Music6 min listen
Maurice Ravel - Pavane for a Dead Infanta - David Hernando Vitores - Kayoko Morimoto (Wasei Duo)
A recording of music by Maurice Ravel. 5 minutes to listen.
French · English
Maurice Ravel
A short reading1 min read
Loose Papers · a short reading
A passage from Loose Papers.
Brazilian · English
Machado de Assis
Music4 min listen
Scott Joplin - Something Doing (1903)
A recording of music by Scott Joplin. 3 minutes to listen.
American · English
Scott Joplin
Poetry1 min read
On the Banks of Jo-yeh
On the Banks of Jo-yeh, by Li Po. Translated by L. Cranmer-Byng.
Chinese · English
Li Po
A quotation1 min read
Reason has so many forms that we know not to which to take; experience has no fewer; the consequence we would draw from the comparison of events is unsure, by reason they are always unlike.
From Essays. Translation by Charles Cotton.
French · English
Michel de Montaigne
Art & illustration1 min read
Pilgrim's Flask with Saint Menas
Pilgrim's Flask with Saint Menas. terracotta.
Byzantine Empire, Abu Mena (Egypt) · English
Artist unknown
A short reading1 min read
White Nights · a short reading
A passage from White Nights. Translated by Constance Garnett.
Russian · English
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Poetry1 min read
Divan of Hafiz · XV
Divan of Hafiz · XV, by Hafiz. Translated by Gertrude Bell.
Iranian · Persian · English
Hafiz
A quotation1 min read
Woman, thou hast encircled the world's heart with the depth of thy tears as the sea has the earth.
From Stray Birds. Translation by Rabindranath Tagore.
Indian · Bengali · English
Rabindranath Tagore
Music3 min listen
Matilde (mazurka) García. Famous guitar virtuoso Agustín Barrios. 340z 1912 Atlanta 65.37 (zgQ9QNokTVI)
A guitar performance by Agustín Barrios. 3 minutes to listen.
Paraguayan · English
Agustín Barrios
Art & illustration1 min read
Portrait of Jean Terford David
Portrait of Jean Terford David. oil on canvas.
America · English
Thomas Sully (American, born England, 1783–1872)
Poetry1 min read
Songs of Kabir · XXXVIII
Songs of Kabir · XXXVIII, by Kabir. Translated by Rabindranath Tagore.
Indian · North Indian poetic tradition · English
Kabir
A quotation1 min read
When the intelligent and animal souls are held together in one embrace, they can be kept from separating.
From Tao Te Ching. Translation by James Legge.
Chinese · English
Laozi (traditional attribution)
A short reading1 min read
Dhammapada · a short reading
A passage from Dhammapada. Translated by F. Max Müller.
South Asian · early Buddhist tradition · English
Traditional Buddhist verse
Art & illustration1 min read
Enthroned Buddha Preaching
Enthroned Buddha Preaching. copper alloy with gilding.
Myanmar or Thailand · English
Artist unknown
Music15 min listen
Rach3 Variation
A recording of music by Sergei Rachmaninoff. 14 minutes to listen.
Russian–American · English
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Poetry1 min read
Sonnet 30 - I see thine image through my tears to-night
A poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
English · English
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
A quotation1 min read
Second Self: Yours is a better lot than mine, brother, for it is given to me to be this madman's joyous self.
From The Madman.
Lebanese–American · English
Kahlil Gibran
Music3 min listen
20091104 Alisa Weilerstein and Jason Yoder - Saint Saëns' The Swan
A recording of music by Camille Saint-Saëns. 2 minutes to listen.
French · English
Camille Saint-Saëns
Art & illustration1 min read
Mount Starr King, Yosemite
Mount Starr King, Yosemite. oil on canvas on panel-back stretcher.
America · English
Albert Bierstadt (American, born Prussia [now Germany], 1830–1902)
A short reading1 min read
Phantastes · a short reading
A passage from Phantastes.
Scottish · English
George MacDonald
Art & illustration1 min read
Nuremberg Hesperides: La Luchetta Imoperiale
Nuremberg Hesperides: La Luchetta Imoperiale. etching.
Hungary · English
Joseph de Montalegre (Hungarian)
A quotation1 min read
The purity men love is like the mists which envelop the earth, and not like the azure ether beyond.
From Walden.
American · English
Henry David Thoreau
Poetry1 min read
Gitanjali · 7
Gitanjali · 7, by Rabindranath Tagore. Translated by Rabindranath Tagore.
Indian · Bengali · English
Rabindranath Tagore
Music3 min listen
Isaac Albeniz - Tango Op.165 No.2 - David Hernando Vitores - Kayoko Morimoto (Wasei Duo)
A recording of music by Isaac Albéniz. 2 minutes to listen.
Spanish · English
Isaac Albéniz
A short reading1 min read
Tao Te Ching · a short reading
A passage from Tao Te Ching. Translated by James Legge.
Chinese · English
Laozi (traditional attribution)
Art & illustration1 min read
Rear View of Seated Man
Rear View of Seated Man. red chalk heightened with white chalk.
Italy · English
Carlo Vimercati (Italian, 1660–1715)
Poetry1 min read
A something in a summer's Day
A poem by Emily Dickinson.
American · English
Emily Dickinson
A quotation1 min read
One cannot listen to different pieces of music at the same time, a real comprehension of the beautiful being possible only through concentration upon some central motive.
From The Book of Tea.
Japanese · English
Kakuzō Okakura
Music6 min listen
Dvořák - String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96 'American' - IV. Finale. Vivace, but not too much
A recording of music by Antonín Dvořák. 5 minutes to listen.
Czech · English
Antonín Dvořák
A short reading1 min read
White Nights · a short reading
A passage from White Nights. Translated by Constance Garnett.
Russian · English
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Music6 min listen
Henry Purcell - Toccata Amajor
A recording of music by Henry Purcell. 5 minutes to listen.
English · English
Henry Purcell
Poetry1 min read
Rubáiyát · XCVII
Rubáiyát · XCVII, by Omar Khayyam, after Edward FitzGerald. Translated by Edward FitzGerald.
Iranian · Persian · English
Omar Khayyam, after Edward FitzGerald
A short reading1 min read
Meditations · a short reading
A passage from Meditations. Translated by Méric Casaubon.
Roman · English
Marcus Aurelius
A quotation1 min read
Him I call indeed a Brahmana who has left what gives pleasure and what gives pain, who is cold, and free from all germs (of renewed life), the hero who has conquered all the worlds.
From Dhammapada. Translation by F. Max Müller.
South Asian · early Buddhist tradition · English
Traditional Buddhist verse
Art & illustration1 min read
Captain H.S. Rawhinson (recto); Mr. Robert Holtz and Family (verso)
Captain H.S. Rawhinson (recto); Mr. Robert Holtz and Family (verso). albumen print.
India · English
Raja Deen Dayal (Indian, 1844–1905)
Music3 min listen
Liszt-ConsolationNo4
A recording of music by Franz Liszt. 2 minutes to listen.
Hungarian · English
Franz Liszt
A quotation1 min read
Innocence and creative desire, is all solar love!
From Thus Spake Zarathustra. Translation by Thomas Common.
German · English
Friedrich Nietzsche
Poetry1 min read
A Birthday
A poem by Christina Rossetti.
English · English
Christina Rossetti
A short reading1 min read
Essays · a short reading
A passage from Essays. Translated by Charles Cotton.
French · English
Michel de Montaigne
Art & illustration1 min read
Dune Scene with Peasant Figures
Dune Scene with Peasant Figures. pen and brown ink over graphite on antique laid paper; lined with tissue paper.
Netherlands · English
Willem van de Velde (Dutch, c. 1611–1693)
Art & illustration1 min read
Head of Male Deity, possibly Aiyanar
Head of Male Deity, possibly Aiyanar. sandstone.
Central Thailand, Phetchabun province, possibly Si Thep · English
Artist unknown
A quotation1 min read
Was thy existence then too fanciful For our life’s common light, who are so dull?
From Walden.
American · English
Henry David Thoreau
Music3 min listen
Smetana - Hubicka - Skrivanci song
A recording of music by Bedřich Smetana. 2 minutes to listen.
Czech · English
Bedřich Smetana
A short reading1 min read
The Enchiridion · a short reading
A passage from The Enchiridion. Translated by Thomas Wentworth Higginson.
Greek · Roman-era philosopher · English
Epictetus
Poetry1 min read
The Land of Exile
The Land of Exile, by Ch`u Yuan. Translated by L. Cranmer-Byng.
Chinese · English
Ch`u Yuan
Music5 min listen
Divertimento in F major, K. 138 (125c) - 1st movement
A recording of music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. 4 minutes to listen.
Austrian · English
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
A short reading1 min read
White Nights · a short reading
A passage from White Nights. Translated by Constance Garnett.
Russian · English
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
A quotation1 min read
What the populace once learned to believe without reasons, who could— refute it to them by means of reasons?
From Thus Spake Zarathustra. Translation by Thomas Common.
German · English
Friedrich Nietzsche
Poetry1 min read
Rubáiyát · C
Rubáiyát · C, by Omar Khayyam, after Edward FitzGerald. Translated by Edward FitzGerald.
Iranian · Persian · English
Omar Khayyam, after Edward FitzGerald
Art & illustration1 min read
Virgin and Child with Saint Jerome and Saint Catherine of Alexandria
Virgin and Child with Saint Jerome and Saint Catherine of Alexandria. tempera and gold on wood panel.
Italy, Siena(?) · English
Carolino da Viterbo (Italian)
Music15 min listen
Borodin - String Quartet No. 1 in A major - I. Moderato - Allegro (Musopen String Quartet)
A recording of music by Alexander Borodin. 14 minutes to listen.
Russian · English
Alexander Borodin
Poetry1 min read
Native Moments.
A poem by Walt Whitman.
American · English
Walt Whitman
A short reading1 min read
Dhammapada · a short reading
A passage from Dhammapada. Translated by F. Max Müller.
South Asian · early Buddhist tradition · English
Traditional Buddhist verse
A quotation1 min read
Lift me into thy world and let me have the freedom gladly to lose my all.
From Stray Birds. Translation by Rabindranath Tagore.
Indian · Bengali · English
Rabindranath Tagore
Art & illustration1 min read
South Wind, Clear Sky, from Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji
South Wind, Clear Sky, from Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji. color woodblock print.
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868) · English
Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, 1760–1849)
A short reading1 min read
Phantastes · a short reading
A passage from Phantastes.
Scottish · English
George MacDonald
Art & illustration1 min read
Nuremberg Hesperides: No. 125 - Limon Ponzino from Naples. Palace of the Most Noble Cornaro at Fiesso
Nuremberg Hesperides: No. 125 - Limon Ponzino from Naples. Palace of the Most Noble Cornaro at Fiesso. engraving, hand-colored.
Hungary · English
Joseph de Montalegre (Hungarian) · Johoann Christoph Volckamer (German)
Poetry1 min read
Fruit-Gathering · LXIII
Fruit-Gathering · LXIII, by Rabindranath Tagore. Translated by Rabindranath Tagore.
Indian · Bengali · English
Rabindranath Tagore
Music5 min listen
Three Dances from the Bartered Bride - III. Dance of the Comedians - U.S. Marine Band
A recording of music by Bedřich Smetana. 4 minutes to listen.
Czech · English
Bedřich Smetana
A quotation1 min read
However, let not thy reason or understanding admit of grief, and if there be anything in thee that is grieved, let that, (whatsoever it be,) conceive its own grief, if it can.
From Meditations. Translation by Méric Casaubon.
Roman · English
Marcus Aurelius
A short reading1 min read
Loose Papers · a short reading
A passage from Loose Papers.
Brazilian · English
Machado de Assis
A quotation1 min read
We are not without virtuous men, but ‘tis according to our notions of virtue.
From Essays. Translation by Charles Cotton.
French · English
Michel de Montaigne
Poetry1 min read
Over The Land Is April
A poem by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Scottish · English
Robert Louis Stevenson
Art & illustration1 min read
Portrait of Mary Wise
Portrait of Mary Wise. oil on canvas.
England, 18th century · English
Thomas Gainsborough (British, 1727–1788)
Music4 min listen
Brahms - Ballade in G Op-118 No-3 (Piano Performance by eldüendesüarez)
A recording of music by Johannes Brahms. 3 minutes to listen.
German · English
Johannes Brahms
A short reading1 min read
Meditations · a short reading
A passage from Meditations. Translated by Méric Casaubon.
Roman · English
Marcus Aurelius
Poetry1 min read
Songs of Kabir · III
Songs of Kabir · III, by Kabir. Translated by Rabindranath Tagore.
Indian · North Indian poetic tradition · English
Kabir
A quotation1 min read
Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
From The Prophet.
Lebanese–American · English
Kahlil Gibran
Music3 min listen
D-Scarlatti-Sonata-K159-C
A recording of music by Domenico Scarlatti. 2 minutes to listen.
Italian · English
Domenico Scarlatti
Art & illustration1 min read
Bahram Gur Slays a Dragon (verso), from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (940–1019 or 1025), known as the Great Mongol Shahnama
Bahram Gur Slays a Dragon (verso), from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi (940–1019 or 1025), known as the Great Mongol Shahnama. opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper.
Iran, Tabriz, Ilkhanid period (1256-1353) · English
Artist unknown
Music5 min listen
Grieg song Solveig, Peer Gynt - Alina Ribina (audio)
A recording of music by Edvard Grieg. 4 minutes to listen.
Norwegian · English
Edvard Grieg
Poetry1 min read
Better -- than Music! For I -- who heard it --
A poem by Emily Dickinson.
American · English
Emily Dickinson
A quotation1 min read
The softest thing in the world dashes against and overcomes the hardest; that which has no (substantial) existence enters where there is no crevice.
From Tao Te Ching. Translation by James Legge.
Chinese · English
Laozi (traditional attribution)
Art & illustration1 min read
Plate 11: Joseph
Plate 11: Joseph. engraving.
Netherlands · English
Jacob de Gheyn II (Netherlandish, 1565–1629) · after Karel I van Mander (Netherlandish, 1548–1606)
A short reading1 min read
Loose Papers · a short reading
A passage from Loose Papers.
Brazilian · English
Machado de Assis
Art & illustration1 min read
Prajnaparamita flanked by two bodhisattvas, folio 187 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra)
Prajnaparamita flanked by two bodhisattvas, folio 187 (recto), from a Manuscript of the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines (Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita-sutra). Gum tempera and ink on palm leaf.
Eastern India, Bihar, Vikramashila Monastery. Painting: Nepal, Kathmandu · English
Artist unknown
A short reading1 min read
Thus Spake Zarathustra · a short reading
A passage from Thus Spake Zarathustra. Translated by Thomas Common.
German · English
Friedrich Nietzsche
A quotation1 min read
The virtuous man is happy in this world, and he is happy in the next; he is happy in both.
From Dhammapada. Translation by F. Max Müller.
South Asian · early Buddhist tradition · English
Traditional Buddhist verse
Poetry1 min read
Divan of Hafiz · XXXIII
Divan of Hafiz · XXXIII, by Hafiz. Translated by Gertrude Bell.
Iranian · Persian · English
Hafiz
Music4 min listen
Lullaby by Gabriel Fauré Op. 56 No. 1
A recording of music by Gabriel Fauré. 3 minutes to listen.
French · English
Gabriel Fauré
A short reading1 min read
Walden · a short reading
A passage from Walden.
American · English
Henry David Thoreau
Poetry1 min read
The Ruined Home
The Ruined Home, by Po Chu-i. Translated by L. Cranmer-Byng.
Chinese · English
Po Chu-i
Art & illustration1 min read
Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of a Woman. oil on wood.
Netherlands · English
Govaert Flinck (Dutch, 1615–1660)
A quotation1 min read
Thou lovest Truth and Beauty and Righteousness; and I for thy sake say it is well and seemly to love these things.
From The Madman.
Lebanese–American · English
Kahlil Gibran
Music5 min listen
Mozart - String Quartet No. 15 in D minor, K421 - III. Minuetto (Allegretto) (Musopen String Quartet)
A recording of music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. 4 minutes to listen.
Austrian · English
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Poetry1 min read
Divan of Hafiz · XXIX
Divan of Hafiz · XXIX, by Hafiz. Translated by Gertrude Bell.
Iranian · Persian · English
Hafiz
Music6 min listen
Vivaldi - Four Seasons 2 Summer mvt 1 Allegro non molto - John Harrison violin
A recording of music by Antonio Vivaldi. 5 minutes to listen.
Italian · English
Antonio Vivaldi
Art & illustration1 min read
Moon Viewing, from The Tale of Heike
Moon Viewing, from The Tale of Heike. hanging scroll; ink and light color on paper.
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868) · English
Yosa Buson (Japanese, 1716–1783)
A quotation1 min read
When thy impurities are blown away, and thou art free from guilt, thou wilt not enter again into birth and decay.
From Dhammapada. Translation by F. Max Müller.
South Asian · early Buddhist tradition · English
Traditional Buddhist verse
A short reading1 min read
Relics of the Old House · a short reading
A passage from Relíquias de Casa Velha.
Brazilian · English
Machado de Assis
Music3 min listen
Gymnopédie no.3
A recording of music by Erik Satie. 2 minutes to listen.
French · English
Erik Satie
A short reading1 min read
Meditations · a short reading
A passage from Meditations. Translated by Méric Casaubon.
Roman · English
Marcus Aurelius
A quotation1 min read
For you must note, that we speak now of the heart, and not of the purse.
From Essays.
English · English
Francis Bacon
Poetry1 min read
Songs of Kabir · LXXXVII
Songs of Kabir · LXXXVII, by Kabir. Translated by Rabindranath Tagore.
Indian · North Indian poetic tradition · English
Kabir
Art & illustration1 min read
Zhi and Xu's Pure Conversation
Zhi and Xu's Pure Conversation. Hanging scroll; ink on paper.
China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644) · English
Lan Ying (Chinese, 1585–after 1664)
A quotation1 min read
The world has opened its heart of light in the morning.
From Stray Birds. Translation by Rabindranath Tagore.
Indian · Bengali · English
Rabindranath Tagore
Poetry1 min read
Rubáiyát · XXIX
Rubáiyát · XXIX, by Omar Khayyam, after Edward FitzGerald. Translated by Edward FitzGerald.
Iranian · Persian · English
Omar Khayyam, after Edward FitzGerald
A short reading1 min read
Tao Te Ching · a short reading
A passage from Tao Te Ching. Translated by James Legge.
Chinese · English
Laozi (traditional attribution)
Music2 min listen
Austria
A recording of music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. 1 minutes to listen.
Austrian · English
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Art & illustration1 min read
Scholar Playing a Qin
Scholar Playing a Qin. album leaf; ink and color on silk.
Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910) · English
Artist unknown
A short reading1 min read
Timaeus · a short reading
A passage from Timaeus. Translated by Benjamin Jowett.
Greek · English
Plato
Poetry1 min read
Ode To Autumn
A poem by John Keats.
English · English
John Keats
Art & illustration1 min read
Col. F. G. Oldham (recto, top)
Col. F. G. Oldham (recto, top). albumen print.
India · English
Raja Deen Dayal (Indian, 1844–1905)
A quotation1 min read
The finest qualities of our nature, like the bloom on fruits, can be preserved only by the most delicate handling.
From Walden.
American · English
Henry David Thoreau
Music4 min listen
Prince Igor (opera)
A recording of music by Alexander Borodin. 4 minutes to listen.
Russian · English
Alexander Borodin
Art & illustration1 min read
Landscape with Fishermen
Landscape with Fishermen. hanging scroll; ink and slight color on silk.
Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910) · English
attributed to Yi Bul-hae (Korean, active 1500s)
Poetry1 min read
Divan of Hafiz · V
Divan of Hafiz · V, by Hafiz. Translated by Gertrude Bell.
Iranian · Persian · English
Hafiz
A quotation1 min read
Wisdom for a man's self is, in many branches thereof, a depraved thing.
From Essays.
English · English
Francis Bacon
Music5 min listen
Fauré - Violin Sonata No. 1 - III. Scherzo. Allegro vivo
A recording of music by Gabriel Fauré. 4 minutes to listen.
French · English
Gabriel Fauré
A short reading1 min read
Tao Te Ching · a short reading
A passage from Tao Te Ching. Translated by James Legge.
Chinese · English
Laozi (traditional attribution)
Art & illustration1 min read
Patamanjari Ragini of Dipak, from a Ragamala
Patamanjari Ragini of Dipak, from a Ragamala. Gum tempera and ink on paper.
Northern India, Pahari kingdoms · English
Artist unknown
A short reading1 min read
Stray Birds · a short reading
A passage from Stray Birds. Translated by Rabindranath Tagore.
Indian · Bengali · English
Rabindranath Tagore
Poetry1 min read
The Fly
A poem by William Blake.
English · English
William Blake
A quotation1 min read
Earnestness is the path of immortality (Nirvana), thoughtlessness the path of death.
From Dhammapada. Translation by F. Max Müller.
South Asian · early Buddhist tradition · English
Traditional Buddhist verse
Music7 min listen
Franz Liszt - Un Sospiro Etude, Db Major
A recording of music by Franz Liszt. 6 minutes to listen.
Hungarian · English
Franz Liszt
Poetry1 min read
Leili
Leili, by Sarojini Naidu.
Indian · English
Sarojini Naidu
A quotation1 min read
Some know what is good, and are horrified at what is not; their opinions are clear and true, and they find the reason for their taste in their mind and understanding.
From Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims. Translation by J. Hain Friswell.
French · English
François de La Rochefoucauld
A short reading1 min read
The Prophet · a short reading
A passage from The Prophet.
Lebanese–American · English
Kahlil Gibran
Music9 min listen
Beethoven - String Quartet No. 6 in B flat major, Op. 18 No. 6 - IV. The Melancholy (Musopen String Quartet)
A recording of music by Ludwig van Beethoven. 8 minutes to listen.
German · English
Ludwig van Beethoven
Art & illustration1 min read
Susanna Anderson Rose
Susanna Anderson Rose. oil on wood.
England, 19th century · English
Frederick Sandys (British, 1829–1904)
A quotation1 min read
Yet beware of being too material, when there is any impediment or obstruction in men's wills; for pre-occupation of mind ever requireth preface of speech; like a fomentation to make the unguent enter.
From Essays.
English · English
Francis Bacon
Poetry1 min read
Divan of Hafiz · XXIII
Divan of Hafiz · XXIII, by Hafiz. Translated by Gertrude Bell.
Iranian · Persian · English
Hafiz
Art & illustration1 min read
Text, folio 115 (verso) from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Manuscript of the Supreme Array)
Text, folio 115 (verso) from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Manuscript of the Supreme Array). ink on palm leaf.
Nepal · English
Artist unknown
A short reading1 min read
The Wind in the Willows · a short reading
A passage from The Wind in the Willows.
Scottish · English
Kenneth Grahame
Music9 min listen
Borodin - String Quartet No. 1 in A major - II. Andante con moto (Musopen String Quartet)
A recording of music by Alexander Borodin. 8 minutes to listen.
Russian · English
Alexander Borodin
Art & illustration1 min read
Tiger
Tiger. Hanging scroll; ink and slight color on silk.
China, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279) · English
Fachang Muqi (Chinese, 1220–1280)
A short reading1 min read
Loose Papers · a short reading
A passage from Loose Papers.
Brazilian · English
Machado de Assis
Poetry1 min read
Gitanjali · 43
Gitanjali · 43, by Rabindranath Tagore. Translated by Rabindranath Tagore.
Indian · Bengali · English
Rabindranath Tagore
Music7 min listen
Isaac Albéniz - Suite Española Op. 47 - Leyenda
A recording of music by Isaac Albéniz. 6 minutes to listen.
Spanish · English
Isaac Albéniz
A quotation1 min read
Thou implantedst thy highest aim into the heart of those passions: then became they thy virtues and joys.
From Thus Spake Zarathustra. Translation by Thomas Common.
German · English
Friedrich Nietzsche
A quotation1 min read
When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to adventure on life now, his vacation from humbler toil having commenced.
From Walden.
American · English
Henry David Thoreau
A short reading1 min read
Dhammapada · a short reading
A passage from Dhammapada. Translated by F. Max Müller.
South Asian · early Buddhist tradition · English
Traditional Buddhist verse
Art & illustration1 min read
Tughra: Shah Muhammad bin Ibrahim Khan, al-muzaffar daima (Sultan Mehmed, son of Ibrahim Khan, the eternally victorious; Calligraphy (Ottoman Turkish Signature), Single Page Manuscript
Tughra: Shah Muhammad bin Ibrahim Khan, al-muzaffar daima (Sultan Mehmed, son of Ibrahim Khan, the eternally victorious; Calligraphy (Ottoman Turkish Signature), Single Page Manuscript. opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper.
Turkey, Ottoman period, reign of Sultan Mehmed IV, 1648–87) · English
Artist unknown
Music5 min listen
Second Hungarian Rhapsody
A recording of music by Franz Liszt. 4 minutes to listen.
Hungarian · English
Franz Liszt
Poetry1 min read
A DREAM
A poem by William Blake.
English · English
William Blake
Poetry1 min read
Gitanjali · 76
Gitanjali · 76, by Rabindranath Tagore. Translated by Rabindranath Tagore.
Indian · Bengali · English
Rabindranath Tagore
Art & illustration1 min read
Winter and Summer Flowers
Winter and Summer Flowers. One of a pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, and gold on paper.
Japan, Momoyama period (1573–1615) · English
Kaihō Yūshō (Japanese, 1533–1615)
Music5 min listen
Paul De Bra - Vivaldi's Lute Concerto in D major, RV 93 - II. Largo (Accordion Orchestra)
A recording of music by Antonio Vivaldi. 5 minutes to listen.
Italian · English
Antonio Vivaldi
A short reading1 min read
Thus Spake Zarathustra · a short reading
A passage from Thus Spake Zarathustra. Translated by Thomas Common.
German · English
Friedrich Nietzsche
A quotation1 min read
The thirst of a thoughtless man grows like a creeper; he runs from life to life, like a monkey seeking fruit in the forest.
From Dhammapada. Translation by F. Max Müller.
South Asian · early Buddhist tradition · English
Traditional Buddhist verse
A short reading1 min read
Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims · a short reading
A passage from Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims. Translated by J. Hain Friswell.
French · English
François de La Rochefoucauld
Art & illustration1 min read
Text, folio 73 (verso) from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array)
Text, folio 73 (verso) from a Gandavyuha-sutra (Scripture of the Supreme Array). ink on palm leaf.
Nepal · English
Artist unknown
A quotation1 min read
Whatever is much thought about is at last thought suspicious.
From Thus Spake Zarathustra. Translation by Thomas Common.
German · English
Friedrich Nietzsche
Poetry1 min read
The Celestial Weaver
The Celestial Weaver, by T`ung Han-ching. Translated by L. Cranmer-Byng.
Chinese · English
T`ung Han-ching
Music15 min listen
JOHN MICHEL CELLO-DVORAK CELLO CONCERTO in B minor 3rd
A recording of music by Antonín Dvořák. 14 minutes to listen.
Czech · English
Antonín Dvořák
That is the selection for now. Take your time.
Another voice to discover.
Follow a writer or artist into their world.Indian · Bengali
Explore at Nobel Prize ↗Discover Rabindranath Tagore
Explore the official biography and literary record.
Nobel Prize in Literature · 1913
Explore more writers and artists
Leo Tolstoy ↗
Russian
Documented literature nominee · 1902
Mo Yan ↗
Chinese
Nobel Prize in Literature · 2012
Salvador Dalí ↗
Spanish · Catalan
Han Kang ↗
South Korean
Nobel Prize in Literature · 2024
Franz Kafka ↗
Prague-born · German-language writer
Imre Kertész ↗
Hungarian
Nobel Prize in Literature · 2002
Clarice Lispector ↗
Brazilian · born in Ukraine
Naguib Mahfouz ↗
Egyptian
Nobel Prize in Literature · 1988
Gabriela Mistral ↗
Chilean
Nobel Prize in Literature · 1945
George Orwell ↗
British
Wole Soyinka ↗
Nigerian
Nobel Prize in Literature · 1986