Who hath desired the Sea? Her menaces swift as her mercies? …
Who hath desired the Sea? Her excellent loneliness rather than
The forecourts of kings.
Rudyard Kipling, ‘The Sea and the Hills’
Ah! These commercial interests – spoiling the finest life under the sun. Why must the sea be used for trade – and for war as well? … It would have been so much nicer just to sail about, with here and there a port and a bit of land to stretch one’s legs on, buy a few books and get a change of cooking for a while.
Joseph Conrad, ‘A Smile of Fortune’
Bir katredir ancak aldigum hep,
Derya yine durmada lebalep.
The things I’ve chosen are a drop, no more;
The undiminished sea still crowds the shore.