Some joys, it’s true, are wrong in Heaven’s eyes;
Yet Heaven is not averse to compromise.[Le ciel défend, de vrai, certains contentements;
Mais on trouve avec lui des accommodements.]Molière (1622-1673) French playwright, actor [stage name for Jean-Baptiste Poquelin]
Tartuffe, Act 4, sc. 5 [Tartuffe to Elmire] (1664) [tr. Wilbur (1961)]
(Source)
Moliere inserts a note in this line, "A scoundrel is speaking [C’est un scélérat qui parle.]"
(Source (French)). Alternate translations:
Heaven, it is true, forbids certain gratifications, but there are ways and means of compounding such matters.
[tr. Van Laun (c. 1870)]
Heaven, it is true, forbids certain gratifications; but there are ways of compounding these matters.
[tr. Mathew (1890)]
Heaven forbids, 't is true, some satisfactions;
But we find means to make things right with Heaven.
[tr. Page (1909)]
It's true that heaven forbids some satisfactions,
But there are possible ways to understandings.
[tr. Bishop (1957)]
It's true, there are some pleasures Heaven denies;
But there are ways to reach a compromise.
[tr. Frame (1967)]
It's true that Heaven forbids certain pleasures,
but it's possible to make bargains.
[tr. Steiner (2008)]
Heaven forbids, in truth, certain contentments;
But we find with him accomodations.
[Source]
It's true Heaven forbids some pleasures, but a compromise can usually be found.
[E.g.]
Quotations about:
forbid
Note not all quotations have been tagged, so Search may find additional quotes on this topic.
One should never forbid what one lacks the power to prevent.
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) French emperor, military leader
(Attributed)
An aphorism he frequently used. See Sophocles.