--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the deserted harbour there is yet…" description: "\"“In the deserted harbour there is yet water that laps against the quays. In the dark and silent forest, there is a leaf that falls. Behind the polished..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/296/alan-paton-6865_ants_in-the-deserted-harbour-there-is-yet-wat_2986040.jpg" --- # In the deserted harbour there is yet water that laps… ![“In the deserted harbour there is yet water that laps against the quays. In the dark and silent forest, there is a leaf that falls. Behind the polished panelling the white ant eats away the wood. Nothing is ever quiet, except for fools” quote by Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/296/alan-paton-6865_ants_in-the-deserted-harbour-there-is-yet-wat_2986040.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/296/alan-paton-6865_ants_in-the-deserted-harbour-there-is-yet-wat_2986040.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/296/alan-paton-6865_ants_in-the-deserted-harbour-there-is-yet-wat_2986040.jpg) > ““In the deserted harbour there is yet water that laps against the quays. In the dark and silent forest, there is a leaf that falls. Behind the polished panelling the white ant eats away the wood. Nothing is ever quiet, except for fools”” [Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even in seemingly empty places, subtle activity persists; only the ignorant perceive true silence. **In simple terms:** Quiet is an illusion; life continues unnoticed. Key Takeaway Notice hidden activity. Themes nature perception silence ignorance existence Mood thoughtful poetic Type observational philosophical When to use this quote - forest walks - urban observation - meditation - creative writing Key Concepts philosophical metaphor observation Questions to Reflect On - What do you overlook in quiet moments? - How does awareness change perception? A Different Perspective Silence can be a comforting denial. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ant Eats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ant-eats-4669068/) [Ants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ants/) [Behinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Deserted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deserted/) [Deserted Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deserted-harbour-4669066/) [Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Forests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forests/) [Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harbour/) [Lap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lap/) [Leafs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leafs/) [Polished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/polished/) [Quays Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quays-dark-4669067/) [Quiet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quiet/) [Silent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silent/) [Silent Forest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silent-forest-2804847/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) [Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woods/) ## Related quotes > [How can a deer tell when a leaf falls silent in the forest? She hears it breathing differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/how-can-a-deer-tell-when-a-leaf-falls-silent-in-the-forest-she-hears/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [The career of a sage is of two kinds: He is either honored by all in the world, Like a flower waving its head,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-career-of-a-sage-is-of-two-kinds-he-is-either-honored-by-all-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When your tongue is silent, you can rest in the silence of the forest. 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A harbour like St. Ives is totally transformed in a very short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer/the-most-amazing-thing-to-me-about-the-sea-is-the-tide-a-harbour-like/) [John Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer/) > [Rock pools, so-named because they have been hammered out of rocks at the ocean's edge, are one of Sydney's defining characteristics, along with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-bonner/rock-pools-so-named-because-they-have-been-hammered-out-of-rocks-at/) [Raymond Bonner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-bonner/) > [All men leave the harbour of youth, but only few reach the very far island of wisdom!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/all-men-leave-the-harbour-of-youth-but-only-few-reach-the-very-far/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) ## More by Alan Paton > [“He is a missionary and believes in God, intensely I mean, but it takes all kinds to make a world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-paton/he-is-a-missionary-and-believes-in-god-intensely-i-mean-but-it-takes/) [Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/) > [“All roads lead to Johannesburg. 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Although nothing has come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-paton/indeed-there-is-something-in-this-valley-some-spirit-and-some-life/) [Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/) > [“In a land of fear... incorruptibility is like a lamp set upon a stand, giving light to all in the house.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-paton/in-a-land-of-fear-incorruptibility-is-like-a-lamp-set-upon-a-stand/) [Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/) > [“Something within me is waking from long sleep, and I want to live and move again. Some zest is returning to me, some immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-paton/something-within-me-is-waking-from-long-sleep-and-i-want-to-live-and/) [Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/) > [And money is not something to go mad about ... Money is for food and clothes and comfort, and a visit to the pictures.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-paton/and-money-is-not-something-to-go-mad-about-money-is-for-food-and/) [Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/) > [“Would age now swiftly overtake him? Would this terrible nodding last now for all his days, so that men said aloud in his presence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-paton/would-age-now-swiftly-overtake-him-would-this-terrible-nodding-last/) [Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/) > [Sorrow is better than fear. Fear is a journey,a terrible journey, but sorrow is at least an arrival. When the storm threatens, a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-paton/sorrow-is-better-than-fear-fear-is-a-journey-a-terrible-journey-but/) [Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/) > [Nosecond Johannesburg isneededuponthe earth.One is enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-paton/nosecond-johannesburg-isneededuponthe-earth-one-is-enough/) [Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/) > [When a deep injury is done us, we never recover until we forgive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-paton/when-a-deep-injury-is-done-us-we-never-recover-until-we-forgive/) [Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/) > [“I see only one hope for our country, and that is when white men and black men, desiring neither power nor money, but desiring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-paton/i-see-only-one-hope-for-our-country-and-that-is-when-white-men-and/) [Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/) [Explore all 97 Alan Paton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/) ## More Ants quotes > [Some people are like ants. Give them a warm day and a piece of ground and they start digging. There the similarity ends. Ants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/some-people-are-like-ants-give-them-a-warm-day-and-a-piece-of-ground/) [Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/) > [Great God of the Ants, thou hast granted victory to thy servants. I appoint thee honorary Colonel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karel-capek/great-god-of-the-ants-thou-hast-granted-victory-to-thy-servants-i/) [Karel Capek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karel-capek/) > [Pray look upon the plants and birds, the ants, spiders, and bees, and you will see them all exerting their nature, and busy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/pray-look-upon-the-plants-and-birds-the-ants-spiders-and-bees-and-you/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [People are like ants: Just a few of them give all the orders. And most of them spend their lives getting squashed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/people-are-like-ants-just-a-few-of-them-give-all-the-orders-and-most/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“Some people are ants by nature; they have to work, even when it’s useless. Few people have a talent for constructive laziness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/some-people-are-ants-by-nature-they-have-to-work-even-when-it-s/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [There's a good case to be made that having fun is a key evolutionary advantage right next to opposable thumbs in terms of importance.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raph-koster/there-s-a-good-case-to-be-made-that-having-fun-is-a-key-evolutionary/) [Raph Koster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raph-koster/) > [“THE FIGHTERS ARE TINY. INSECTS, REALLY. BUT ANTS CAN SLAY AN ELEPHANT, IF THERE ARE ENOUGH OF THEM. ESPECIALLY ANTS ARMED WITH HIGH-YIELD EXPLOSIVES…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amie-kaufman/the-fighters-are-tiny-insects-really-but-ants-can-slay-an-elephant-if/) [Amie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amie-kaufman/) > [We know of no behavior in ants or any other social insects that can be construed as play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-holldobler/we-know-of-no-behavior-in-ants-or-any-other-social-insects-that-can/) [Bert Holldobler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-holldobler/) > [Oh, ants, my sisters, good old honeydew-seekers! From close up you are sticky and shiny and gristly; and your nymphs have parasitic red mites…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/oh-ants-my-sisters-good-old-honeydew-seekers-from-close-up-you-are/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [Albert and I would spend hours and hours looking at them. 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If you do not squash…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/when-someone-criticizes-or-disagrees-with-you-a-small-ant-of-hatred/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“Lies are like ants; there's never just one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-ash/lies-are-like-ants-there-s-never-just-one/) [Julia Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-ash/) > [There's a scientific hypothesis that every person's name is a primary suggestive command that contains the entire script of their life in highly concentrated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-pelevin/there-s-a-scientific-hypothesis-that-every-person-s-name-is-a-primary/) [Victor Pelevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-pelevin/) > [When I was little, I would burn ants with a magnifying glass. 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