“It is my birthday: I had thought to have held it poor; but, since my lord is Antony again, I will be Cleopatra.”
William Shakespeare
CelebrationLove
Birthday Quotes
200 FAMOUS QUOTES · BIRTHDAY
Birthday Quotes
Read 200 of the best birthday quotes, wishes and blessings for friends, family and loved ones, from Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll, the Bible and more.
“This day I breathed first: time is come round, and where I did begin, there shall I end.”
William Shakespeare
BirthdayLife
“There was a star danced, and under that was I born.”
William Shakespeare
BirthJoy
“Thou mettest with things dying, I with things new-born.”
William Shakespeare
New BeginningsBirth
“When we are born, we cry that we are come to this great stage of fools.”
William Shakespeare
BirthFunny
“Thou art thy mother's glass, and she in thee calls back the lovely April of her prime.”
William Shakespeare
MotherChildren
“My days are in the yellow leaf; the flowers and fruits of love are gone.”
Lord Byron
Getting OlderReflection
“'Tis time this heart should be unmoved, since others it hath ceased to move.”
Lord Byron
Getting OlderReflection
“Stella this day is thirty-four, (we shan't dispute a year or more).”
Jonathan Swift
FunnyAge
“There are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents, and only one for birthday presents, you know. There's glory for you!”
Lewis Carroll
FunnyPresents
“Monday's child is fair of face, Tuesday's child is full of grace.”
Mother Goose
BirthChildhood
“Wednesday's child is full of woe, Thursday's child has far to go, Friday's child is loving and giving, Saturday's child works hard for its living.”
Mother Goose
BirthChildhood
“And the child that is born on the Sabbath day is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.”
Mother Goose
BirthJoy
“'I have no name: I am but two days old.' What shall I call thee? 'I happy am, Joy is my name.' Sweet joy befall thee!”
William Blake
BabyJoy
“Heaven lies about us in our infancy!”
William Wordsworth
ChildhoodInnocence
“I remember, I remember, the house where I was born, the little window where the sun came peeping in at morn.”
Thomas Hood
MemoriesChildhood
“But now 'tis little joy to know I'm farther off from heav'n than when I was a boy.”
Thomas Hood
Getting OlderNostalgia
“How beautiful is youth! how bright it gleams with its illusions, aspirations, dreams!”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
YouthDreams
“Between the dark and the daylight, when the night is beginning to lower, comes a pause in the day's occupations, that is known as the Children's Hour.”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
ChildrenFamily
“We turn not older with years, but newer every day.”
Emily Dickinson
Getting OlderRenewal
“Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.”
Charles Dickens
LifeBirth
“I was born on a Friday, at twelve o'clock at night.”
Charles Dickens
BirthFunny
“I have now attained an age when, in the case of a gentleman of my renown, a birthday is no longer of any use to me.”
Robert Louis Stevenson
FunnyGetting Older
“April 1. This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four.”
Mark Twain
FunnySpecial Days
“Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul, as the swift seasons roll!”
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.
GrowthSoul
Related Topics
About Birthday Quotes
A birthday is a celebration of life itself: the day someone came into the world, and every year of memories, growth and love since then. Whether you are writing a card, a WhatsApp message or a speech, the right words can make someone's birthday feel truly special.
This collection brings together 200 of the best birthday quotes, wishes and blessings from poets, playwrights and timeless sources, including William Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll, Charles Dickens, Emily Dickinson, Lord Byron and the Bible. You will find funny birthday quotes, heartfelt wishes, blessings for loved ones and thoughtful lines about the passing years.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Birthday quotes.
What is a good quote for a birthday card?
Numbers 6:24-25, "The Lord bless thee, and keep thee," is a warm blessing for any age, and Emily Dickinson's "We turn not older with years, but newer every day" is a lovely, uplifting choice. For something playful, Lewis Carroll's lines about un-birthday presents are perfect.
What are some funny birthday quotes?
Jonathan Swift joked to his friend Stella, "we shan't dispute a year or more" about her age, and Robert Louis Stevenson claimed he was too famous to need a birthday anymore. Lewis Carroll's un-birthday joke from Through the Looking-Glass is another classic.
What are good birthday wishes from the Bible?
Popular verses include 3 John 1:2, "I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health," Psalm 20:4, and Psalm 23:6, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."
What did Shakespeare say about birthdays?
In Antony and Cleopatra, Cleopatra says she planned to spend her birthday quietly until her love returned, and in Julius Caesar, Cassius notes that his birthday brings him full circle. In Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice says a star danced when she was born.
What is the "Monday's child" rhyme?
It is a traditional English nursery rhyme first printed in 1838 that describes a child's character based on the day of the week they were born. Many people enjoy looking up their own birth day and sharing the line on birthdays.
What should I write in a birthday message?
A good birthday message combines a warm wish, a personal memory or compliment, and a hope for the year ahead. Adding a short quote, like "We turn not older with years, but newer every day," can make it feel thoughtful and memorable.