10 Quotes by May Ziadeh on Life

Who is May Ziadeh?

May Ziadeh, a Lebanese-Palestinian, is a writer, translator, and poet whose work explores Arabic literature and feminism. Her writings continue to inspire new generations. Explore 10 of her most fantastic quotes:

'Great pain is a great cleansing'

This quote suggests that great pain in life is good and can lead to purification, growth, or renewal, as suffering often forces individuals to reflect, change, and grow.

'No darkness in life, but it is our eyes, which can not see the light in the most majestic'

This quote of May underlines that life itself is not fundamentally dark or negative. It poses that it is our perception that blinds us from seeing beauty, hope, and truth, even in the most grand moments.

'Powerful is the one whose motto in life: I might suffer but will never surrender'

This quote tells us that true power comes with resilience. It tells that a person who bears suffering without giving up and shows persistence can achieve success.

'It is not surprising that manifestations of falsehood are sometimes more capable of persuasion than manifestations of truth'

In this quote, May tells that lies can be more believable than the truth since they are manipulated in a way that hits to emotions and biases. However, she says that truth is often raw and unmanipulated.

'Science and knowledge are honouring the genius, but they do not stand in their place'

This quote talks about the science and knowledge that recognise and celebrates great minds in life. Still, it says that they cannot replace genius itself. It tells us that innovation requires creativity beyond just scientific knowledge in life.

'The tears of children are more painful than the tears of men'

This quote of May conveys that a child’s suffering is more painful in life. This may be because children are naïve and vulnerable.

'Revolution as a whole is daring in its time and place; it is genius and victory, otherwise folly and defeat'

This quote underlines that a revolution in life is seen as an act of daring and victory if successful. Otherwise, if it fails, it is seen as folly and doomed. In this quote, May says that timing and execution will decide its outcome.

'The prophets are believers and disbelievers'

This quote tells that prophets are deeply faithful, still they sometimes question their belief or faith. In this quote, May explains that society may view them as both divine messengers and bad people.

'A man without a goal is like a ship without a rudder, both will end up crushed by the rocks'

This quote says that without a goal or purpose, a person is vulnerable to chaos and destruction. It motivates us to have a goal in life, without which we cannot navigate life effectively.

'The eyes of the world, even if armed with the telescope, are weak and helpless'

This quote explains that no matter how much we enhance our vision with technology or knowledge, there are weaknesses in human understanding. Ziadeh tells us that some truths of life are beyond our grasp.