Clouds Quote by Ovid
“Beneath the sun's rays our shadow is our comrade; When clouds obscure the sun our shadow flees. So Fortune's smiles the fickle crowd pursues, But swift is gone whenever she veils her face.”
About This Quote
Source Poem: Metamorphoses, Book 1, 8 AD
The poem likens fate's favor to sunlight; when bright it is reliable, but when hidden, it disappears, showing the fickle nature of luck.
In simple terms: Fortune is like sunlight—present when visible, absent when hidden.
Key Takeaway
Recognize that good fortune is temporary.
Themes
fate
change
impermanence
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal ambition
- financial markets
- relationships
- creative projects
Key Concepts
classical mythology
poetic metaphor
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you prepare for sudden changes in luck?
- Can you find stability beyond external success?
A Different Perspective
Fortune can return unexpectedly, so one must not rely solely on it.
![“Among the valleys of the distant waves we will eventually meet. […] The orange sun will recognize us. It owes us. It will be the sun from nineteen hundred and forty-forever. O no cloud in the sky! O ocean full of fish hiding! The sun seduced us before we could be virgins.” quote by Landis Everson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/96a/landis-everson-46396_sun_among-the-valleys-of-the-distant-waves-w_2222265.jpg)
![“A mind conscious of right laughs at the falsehoods of rumour. [Lat., Conscia mens recti famae mendacia risit.]” quote by Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/95c/ovid-276_conscious_a-mind-conscious-of-right-laughs-at-the_12185.jpg)
