Jesus wept; Voltaire smiled. Of that divine tear and that human smile is composed the sweetness of the present civilization.
• Speech, "Le centenaire de Voltaire", on the 100th anniversary of the death of Voltaire, Théâtre de la Gaîté, Paris (30 May 1878); published in Actes et paroles - Depuis l'exil (1878)
• Speech, "Le centenaire de Voltaire", on the 100th anniversary of the death of Voltaire, Théâtre de la Gaîté, Paris (30 May 1878); published in Actes et paroles - Depuis l'exil (1878)
“
Jésus a pleuré, Voltaire a souri; c’est de cette larme divine et de ce sourire humain qu’est faite la douceur de la civilisation actuelle.
— Jesus on Victor Hugo
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Jésus a pleuré, Voltaire a souri; c’est de cette larme divine et de ce sourire humain qu’est faite la douceur de la civilisation actuelle." in the context of "Jesus wept; Voltaire smiled. Of that divine tear and that human smile is composed the sweetness of the present civilization.
• Speech, "Le centenaire de Voltaire", on the 100th anniversary of the death of Voltaire, Théâtre de la Gaîté, Paris (30 May 1878); published in Actes et paroles - Depuis l'exil (1878)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Victor Hugo" (Quotes)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 30, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth (c. 4 BC - AD 30 / 33), also known as Jesus Christ, Yeshua, Yeshu, Jesu and Isa, is the central figure of Christianity, a philosopher and teacher. He is believed to have lived around modern Israel, around 1 AD, and to be the Messiah of ultimate salvation and the Son of God by followers of Christian traditions. Manichaeans, Gnostics, Muslims, Bahá'ís, and others have found prominent places for Jesus in their religions.
About Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth (c. 4 BC - AD 30 / 33), also known as Jesus Christ, Yeshua, Yeshu, Jesu and Isa, is the central figure of Christianity, a philosopher and teacher. He is believed to have lived around modern Israel, around 1 AD, and to be the Messiah of ultimate salvation and the Son of God by followers of Christian traditions. Manichaeans, Gnostics, Muslims, Bahá'ís, and others have found prominent places for Jesus in their religions.
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