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Zarathustra’s Discourses.
1. I. The Three Metamorphoses.
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Three metamorphoses of the spirit do I designate to you: how the spirit becometh a camel, the camel a lion, and the lion at last a child.
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Many heavy things are there for the spirit, the strong load-bearing spirit in which reverence dwelleth: for the heavy and the heaviest longeth its strength.
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What is heavy? so asketh the load-bearing spirit; then kneeleth it down like the camel, and wanteth to be well laden.
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What is the heaviest thing, ye heroes? asketh the load-bearing spirit, that I may take it upon me and rejoice in my strength.
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Is it not this: To humiliate oneself in order to mortify one’s pride? To exhibit one’s folly in order to mock at one’s wisdom?
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Or is it this: To desert our cause when it celebrateth its triumph? To ascend high mountains to tempt the tempter?
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Or is it this: To feed on the acorns and grass of knowledge, and for the sake of truth to suffer hunger of soul?
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Or is it this: To be sick and dismiss comforters, and make friends of the deaf, who never hear thy requests?
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Or is it this: To go into foul water when it is the water of truth, and not disclaim cold frogs and hot toads?
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Or is it this: To love those who despise us, and give one’s hand to the phantom when it is going to frighten us?
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All these heaviest things the load-bearing spirit taketh upon itself: and like the camel, which, when laden, hasteneth into the wilderness, so hasteneth the spirit into its wilderness.
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But in the loneliest wilderness happeneth the second metamorphosis: here the spirit becometh a lion; freedom will it capture, and lordship in its own wilderness.
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Its last Lord it here seeketh: hostile will it be to him, and to its last God; for victory will it struggle with the great dragon.
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What is the great dragon which the spirit is no longer inclined to call Lord and God? “Thou-shalt,” is the great dragon called. But the spirit of the lion saith, “I will.”
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“Thou-shalt,” lieth in its path, sparkling with gold—a scale-covered beast; and on every scale glittereth golden, “Thou shalt!”
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The values of a thousand years glitter on those scales, and thus speaketh the mightiest of all dragons: “All the values of things—glitter on me.
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All values have already been created, and all created values—do I represent. Verily, there shall be no ‘I will’ any more. Thus speaketh the dragon.
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My brethren, wherefore is there need of the lion in the spirit? Why sufficeth not the beast of burden, which renounceth and is reverent?
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To create new values—that, even the lion cannot yet accomplish: but to create itself freedom for new creating—that can the might of the lion do.
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To create itself freedom, and give a holy Nay even unto duty: for that, my brethren, there is need of the lion.
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To assume the right to new values—that is the most formidable assumption for a load-bearing and reverent spirit. Verily, unto such a spirit it is preying, and the work of a beast of prey.
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As its holiest, it once loved “Thou-shalt”: now is it forced to find illusion and arbitrariness even in the holiest things, that it may capture freedom from its love: the lion is needed for this capture.
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But tell me, my brethren, what the child can do, which even the lion could not do? Why hath the preying lion still to become a child?
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Innocence is the child, and forgetfulness, a new beginning, a game, a self-rolling wheel, a first movement, a holy Yea.
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Aye, for the game of creating, my brethren, there is needed a holy Yea unto life: ITS OWN will, willeth now the spirit; HIS OWN world winneth the world’s outcast.
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Three metamorphoses of the spirit have I designated to you: how the spirit became a camel, the camel a lion, and the lion at last a child.—
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Thus spake Zarathustra. And at that time he abode in the town which is called The Pied Cow.
2. II. THE ACADEMIC CHAIRS OF VIRTUE.
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People commended unto Zarathustra a wise man, as one who could discourse well about sleep and virtue: greatly was he honoured and rewarded for it, and all the youths sat before his chair. To him went Zarathustra, and sat among the youths before his chair. And thus spake the wise man:
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Respect and modesty in presence of sleep! That is the first thing! And to go out of the way of all who sleep badly and keep awake at night!
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Modest is even the thief in presence of sleep: he always stealeth softly through the night. Immodest, however, is the night-watchman; immodestly he carrieth his horn.
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No small art is it to sleep: it is necessary for that purpose to keep awake all day.
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Ten times a day must thou overcome thyself: that causeth wholesome weariness, and is poppy to the soul.
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Ten times must thou reconcile again with thyself; for overcoming is bitterness, and badly sleep the unreconciled.
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Ten truths must thou find during the day; otherwise wilt thou seek truth during the night, and thy soul will have been hungry.
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Ten times must thou laugh during the day, and be cheerful; otherwise thy stomach, the father of affliction, will disturb thee in the night.
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Few people know it, but one must have all the virtues in order to sleep well. Shall I bear false witness? Shall I commit adultery?
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Shall I covet my neighbour’s maidservant? All that would ill accord with good sleep.
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And even if one have all the virtues, there is still one thing needful: to send the virtues themselves to sleep at the right time.
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That they may not quarrel with one another, the good females! And about thee, thou unhappy one!
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Peace with God and thy neighbour: so desireth good sleep. And peace also with thy neighbour’s devil! Otherwise it will haunt thee in the night.
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Honour to the government, and obedience, and also to the crooked government! So desireth good sleep. How can I help it, if power like to walk on crooked legs?
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He who leadeth his sheep to the greenest pasture, shall always be for me the best shepherd: so doth it accord with good sleep.
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Many honours I want not, nor great treasures: they excite the spleen. But it is bad sleeping without a good name and a little treasure.
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A small company is more welcome to me than a bad one: but they must come and go at the right time. So doth it accord with good sleep.
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Well, also, do the poor in spirit please me: they promote sleep. Blessed are they, especially if one always give in to them.
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Thus passeth the day unto the virtuous. When night cometh, then take I good care not to summon sleep. It disliketh to be summoned—sleep, the lord of the virtues!
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But I think of what I have done and thought during the day. Thus ruminating, patient as a cow, I ask myself: What were thy ten overcomings?
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And what were the ten reconciliations, and the ten truths, and the ten laughters with which my heart enjoyed itself?
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Thus pondering, and cradled by forty thoughts, it overtaketh me all at once—sleep, the unsummoned, the lord of the virtues.
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Sleep tappeth on mine eye, and it turneth heavy. Sleep toucheth my mouth, and it remaineth open.
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Verily, on soft soles doth it come to me, the dearest of thieves, and stealeth from me my thoughts: stupid do I then stand, like this academic chair.
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But not much longer do I then stand: I already lie.—
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When Zarathustra heard the wise man thus speak, he laughed in his heart: for thereby had a light dawned upon him. And thus spake he to his heart:
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A fool seemeth this wise man with his forty thoughts: but I believe he knoweth well how to sleep.
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Happy even is he who liveth near this wise man! Such sleep is contagious—even through a thick wall it is contagious.
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A magic resideth even in his academic chair. And not in vain did the youths sit before the preacher of virtue.
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His wisdom is to keep awake in order to sleep well. And verily, if life had no sense, and had I to choose nonsense, this would be the desirablest nonsense for me also.
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Now know I well what people sought formerly above all else when they sought teachers of virtue. Good sleep they sought for themselves, and poppy-head virtues to promote it!
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To all those belauded sages of the academic chairs, wisdom was sleep without dreams: they knew no higher significance of life.
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Even at present, to be sure, there are some like this preacher of virtue, and not always so honourable: but their time is past. And not much longer do they stand: there they already lie.
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Blessed are those drowsy ones: for they shall soon nod to sleep.—
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Thus spake Zarathustra.
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Once on a time, Zarathustra also cast his fancy beyond man, like all backworldsmen. The work of a suffering and tortured God, did the world then seem to me.
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The dream—and diction—of a God, did the world then seem to me; coloured vapours before the eyes of a divinely dissatisfied one.
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Good and evil, and joy and woe, and I and thou—coloured vapours did they seem to me before creative eyes. The creator wished to look away from himself,—thereupon he created the world.
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Intoxicating joy is it for the sufferer to look away from his suffering and forget himself. Intoxicating joy and self-forgetting, did the world once seem to me.
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This world, the eternally imperfect, an eternal contradiction’s image and imperfect image—an intoxicating joy to its imperfect creator:—thus did the world once seem to me.
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Thus, once on a time, did I also cast my fancy beyond man, like all backworldsmen. Beyond man, forsooth?
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Ah, ye brethren, that God whom I created was human work and human madness, like all the Gods!
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A man was he, and only a poor fragment of a man and ego. Out of mine own ashes and glow it came unto me, that phantom. And verily, it came not unto me from the beyond!
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What happened, my brethren? I surpassed myself, the suffering one; I carried mine own ashes to the mountain; a brighter flame I contrived for myself. And lo! Thereupon the phantom WITHDREW from me!
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To me the convalescent would it now be suffering and torment to believe in such phantoms: suffering would it now be to me, and humiliation. Thus speak I to backworldsmen.
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Suffering was it, and impotence—that created all backworlds; and the short madness of happiness, which only the greatest sufferer experienceth.
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Weariness, which seeketh to get to the ultimate with one leap, with a death-leap; a poor ignorant weariness, unwilling even to will any longer: that created all Gods and backworlds.
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Believe me, my brethren! It was the body which despaired of the body—it groped with the fingers of the infatuated spirit at the ultimate walls.
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Believe me, my brethren! It was the body which despaired of the earth—it heard the bowels of existence speaking unto it.
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And then it sought to get through the ultimate walls with its head—and not with its head only—into “the other world.”
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But that “other world” is well concealed from man, that dehumanised, inhuman world, which is a celestial naught; and the bowels of existence do not speak unto man, except as man.
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Verily, it is difficult to prove all being, and hard to make it speak. Tell me, ye brethren, is not the strangest of all things best proved?
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Yea, this ego, with its contradiction and perplexity, speaketh most uprightly of its being—this creating, willing, evaluing ego, which is the measure and value of things.
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And this most upright existence, the ego—it speaketh of the body, and still implieth the body, even when it museth and raveth and fluttereth with broken wings.
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Always more uprightly learneth it to speak, the ego; and the more it learneth, the more doth it find titles and honours for the body and the earth.
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A new pride taught me mine ego, and that teach I unto men: no longer to thrust one’s head into the sand of celestial things, but to carry it freely, a terrestrial head, which giveth meaning to the earth!
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A new will teach I unto men: to choose that path which man hath followed blindly, and to approve of it—and no longer to slink aside from it, like the sick and perishing!
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The sick and perishing—it was they who despised the body and the earth, and invented the heavenly world, and the redeeming blood-drops; but even those sweet and sad poisons they borrowed from the body and the earth!
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From their misery they sought escape, and the stars were too remote for them. Then they sighed: “O that there were heavenly paths by which to steal into another existence and into happiness!” Then they contrived for themselves their by-paths and bloody draughts!
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Beyond the sphere of their body and this earth they now fancied themselves transported, these ungrateful ones. But to what did they owe the convulsion and rapture of their transport? To their body and this earth.
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Gentle is Zarathustra to the sickly. Verily, he is not indignant at their modes of consolation and ingratitude. May they become convalescents and overcomers, and create higher bodies for themselves!
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Neither is Zarathustra indignant at a convalescent who looketh tenderly on his delusions, and at midnight stealeth round the grave of his God; but sickness and a sick frame remain even in his tears.
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Many sickly ones have there always been among those who muse, and languish for God; violently they hate the discerning ones, and the latest of virtues, which is uprightness.
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Backward they always gaze toward dark ages: then, indeed, were delusion and faith something different. Raving of the reason was likeness to God, and doubt was sin.
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Too well do I know those godlike ones: they insist on being believed in, and that doubt is sin. Too well, also, do I know what they themselves most believe in.
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Verily, not in backworlds and redeeming blood-drops: but in the body do they also believe most; and their own body is for them the thing-in-itself.
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But it is a sickly thing to them, and gladly would they get out of their skin. Therefore hearken they to the preachers of death, and themselves preach backworlds.
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Hearken rather, my brethren, to the voice of the healthy body; it is a more upright and pure voice.
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More uprightly and purely speaketh the healthy body, perfect and square-built; and it speaketh of the meaning of the earth.—
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Thus spake Zarathustra.
4. IV. THE DESPISERS OF THE BODY.
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To the despisers of the body will I speak my word. I wish them neither to learn afresh, nor teach anew, but only to bid farewell to their own bodies,—and thus be dumb.
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“Body am I, and soul”—so saith the child. And why should one not speak like children?
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But the awakened one, the knowing one, saith: “Body am I entirely, and nothing more; and soul is only the name of something in the body.”
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The body is a big sagacity, a plurality with one sense, a war and a peace, a flock and a shepherd.
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An instrument of thy body is also thy little sagacity, my brother, which thou callest “spirit”—a little instrument and plaything of thy big sagacity.
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“Ego,” sayest thou, and art proud of that word. But the greater thing—in which thou art unwilling to believe—is thy body with its big sagacity; it saith not “ego,” but doeth it.
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What the sense feeleth, what the spirit discerneth, hath never its end in itself. But sense and spirit would fain persuade thee that they are the end of all things: so vain are they.
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Instruments and playthings are sense and spirit: behind them there is still the Self. The Self seeketh with the eyes of the senses, it hearkeneth also with the ears of the spirit.
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Ever hearkeneth the Self, and seeketh; it compareth, mastereth, conquereth, and destroyeth. It ruleth, and is also the ego’s ruler.
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Behind thy thoughts and feelings, my brother, there is a mighty lord, an unknown sage—it is called Self; it dwelleth in thy body, it is thy body.
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There is more sagacity in thy body than in thy best wisdom. And who then knoweth why thy body requireth just thy best wisdom?
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Thy Self laugheth at thine ego, and its proud prancings. “What are these prancings and flights of thought unto me?” it saith to itself. “A by-way to my purpose. I am the leading-string of the ego, and the prompter of its notions.”
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The Self saith unto the ego: “Feel pain!” And thereupon it suffereth, and thinketh how it may put an end thereto—and for that very purpose it IS MEANT to think.
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The Self saith unto the ego: “Feel pleasure!” Thereupon it rejoiceth, and thinketh how it may ofttimes rejoice—and for that very purpose it IS MEANT to think.
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To the despisers of the body will I speak a word. That they despise is caused by their esteem. What is it that created esteeming and despising and worth and will?
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The creating Self created for itself esteeming and despising, it created for itself joy and woe. The creating body created for itself spirit, as a hand to its will.
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Even in your folly and despising ye each serve your Self, ye despisers of the body. I tell you, your very Self wanteth to die, and turneth away from life.
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No longer can your Self do that which it desireth most:—create beyond itself. That is what it desireth most; that is all its fervour.
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But it is now too late to do so:—so your Self wisheth to succumb, ye despisers of the body.
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To succumb—so wisheth your Self; and therefore have ye become despisers of the body. For ye can no longer create beyond yourselves.
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And therefore are ye now angry with life and with the earth. And unconscious envy is in the sidelong look of your contempt.
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I go not your way, ye despisers of the body! Ye are no bridges for me to the Superman!—
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Thus spake Zarathustra.
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My brother, when thou hast a virtue, and it is thine own virtue, thou hast it in common with no one.
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To be sure, thou wouldst call it by name and caress it; thou wouldst pull its ears and amuse thyself with it.
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And lo! Then hast thou its name in common with the people, and hast become one of the people and the herd with thy virtue!
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Better for thee to say: “Ineffable is it, and nameless, that which is pain and sweetness to my soul, and also the hunger of my bowels.”
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Let thy virtue be too high for the familiarity of names, and if thou must speak of it, be not ashamed to stammer about it.
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Thus speak and stammer: “That is MY good, that do I love, thus doth it please me entirely, thus only do I desire the good.
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Not as the law of a God do I desire it, not as a human law or a human need do I desire it; it is not to be a guide-post for me to superearths and paradises.
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An earthly virtue is it which I love: little prudence is therein, and the least everyday wisdom.
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But that bird built its nest beside me: therefore, I love and cherish it—now sitteth it beside me on its golden eggs.”
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Thus shouldst thou stammer, and praise thy virtue.
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Once hadst thou passions and calledst them evil. But now hast thou only thy virtues: they grew out of thy passions.
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Thou implantedst thy highest aim into the heart of those passions: then became they thy virtues and joys.
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And though thou wert of the race of the hot-tempered, or of the voluptuous, or of the fanatical, or the vindictive;
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All thy passions in the end became virtues, and all thy devils angels.
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Once hadst thou wild dogs in thy cellar: but they changed at last into birds and charming songstresses.
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Out of thy poisons brewedst thou balsam for thyself; thy cow, affliction, milkedst thou—now drinketh thou the sweet milk of her udder.
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And nothing evil groweth in thee any longer, unless it be the evil that groweth out of the conflict of thy virtues.
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My brother, if thou be fortunate, then wilt thou have one virtue and no more: thus goest thou easier over the bridge.
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Illustrious is it to have many virtues, but a hard lot; and many a one hath gone into the wilderness and killed himself, because he was weary of being the battle and battlefield of virtues.
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My brother, are war and battle evil? Necessary, however, is the evil; necessary are the envy and the distrust and the back-biting among the virtues.
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Lo! how each of thy virtues is covetous of the highest place; it wanteth thy whole spirit to be ITS herald, it wanteth thy whole power, in wrath, hatred, and love.
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Jealous is every virtue of the others, and a dreadful thing is jealousy. Even virtues may succumb by jealousy.
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He whom the flame of jealousy encompasseth, turneth at last, like the scorpion, the poisoned sting against himself.
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Ah! my brother, hast thou never seen a virtue backbite and stab itself?
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Man is something that hath to be surpassed: and therefore shalt thou love thy virtues,—for thou wilt succumb by them.—
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Thus spake Zarathustra.
6. VI. THE PALE CRIMINAL.
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Ye do not mean to slay, ye judges and sacrificers, until the animal hath bowed its head? Lo! the pale criminal hath bowed his head: out of his eye speaketh the great contempt.
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“Mine ego is something which is to be surpassed: mine ego is to me the great contempt of man”: so speaketh it out of that eye.
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When he judged himself—that was his supreme moment; let not the exalted one relapse again into his low estate!
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There is no salvation for him who thus suffereth from himself, unless it be speedy death.
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Your slaying, ye judges, shall be pity, and not revenge; and in that ye slay, see to it that ye yourselves justify life!
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It is not enough that ye should reconcile with him whom ye slay. Let your sorrow be love to the Superman: thus will ye justify your own survival!
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“Enemy” shall ye say but not “villain,” “invalid” shall ye say but not “wretch,” “fool” shall ye say but not “sinner.”
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And thou, red judge, if thou would say audibly all thou hast done in thought, then would every one cry: “Away with the nastiness and the virulent reptile!”
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But one thing is the thought, another thing is the deed, and another thing is the idea of the deed. The wheel of causality doth not roll between them.
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An idea made this pale man pale. Adequate was he for his deed when he did it, but the idea of it, he could not endure when it was done.
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Evermore did he now see himself as the doer of one deed. Madness, I call this: the exception reversed itself to the rule in him.
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The streak of chalk bewitcheth the hen; the stroke he struck bewitched his weak reason. Madness AFTER the deed, I call this.
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Hearken, ye judges! There is another madness besides, and it is BEFORE the deed. Ah! ye have not gone deep enough into this soul!
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Thus speaketh the red judge: “Why did this criminal commit murder? He meant to rob.” I tell you, however, that his soul wanted blood, not booty: he thirsted for the happiness of the knife!
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But his weak reason understood not this madness, and it persuaded him. “What matter about blood!” it said; “wishest thou not, at least, to make booty thereby? Or take revenge?”
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And he hearkened unto his weak reason: like lead lay its words upon him—thereupon he robbed when he murdered. He did not mean to be ashamed of his madness.
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And now once more lieth the lead of his guilt upon him, and once more is his weak reason so benumbed, so paralysed, and so dull.
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Could he only shake his head, then would his burden roll off; but who shaketh that head?
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What is this man? A mass of diseases that reach out into the world through the spirit; there they want to get their prey.
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What is this man? A coil of wild serpents that are seldom at peace among themselves—so they go forth apart and seek prey in the world.
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Look at that poor body! What it suffered and craved, the poor soul interpreted to itself—it interpreted it as murderous desire, and eagerness for the happiness of the knife.
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Him who now turneth sick, the evil overtaketh which is now the evil: he seeketh to cause pain with that which causeth him pain. But there have been other ages, and another evil and good.
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Once was doubt evil, and the will to Self. Then the invalid became a heretic or sorcerer; as heretic or sorcerer he suffered, and sought to cause suffering.
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But this will not enter your ears; it hurteth your good people, ye tell me. But what doth it matter to me about your good people!
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Many things in your good people cause me disgust, and verily, not their evil. I would that they had a madness by which they succumbed, like this pale criminal!
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Verily, I would that their madness were called truth, or fidelity, or justice: but they have their virtue in order to live long, and in wretched self-complacency.
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I am a railing alongside the torrent; whoever is able to grasp me may grasp me! Your crutch, however, I am not.—
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Thus spake Zarathustra.
7. VII. READING AND WRITING.
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Of all that is written, I love only what a person hath written with his blood. Write with blood, and thou wilt find that blood is spirit.
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It is no easy task to understand unfamiliar blood; I hate the reading idlers.
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He who knoweth the reader, doeth nothing more for the reader. Another century of readers—and spirit itself will stink.
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Every one being allowed to learn to read, ruineth in the long run not only writing but also thinking.
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Once spirit was God, then it became man, and now it even becometh populace.
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He that writeth in blood and proverbs doth not want to be read, but learnt by heart.
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In the mountains the shortest way is from peak to peak, but for that route thou must have long legs. Proverbs should be peaks, and those spoken to should be big and tall.
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The atmosphere rare and pure, danger near and the spirit full of a joyful wickedness: thus are things well matched.
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I want to have goblins about me, for I am courageous. The courage which scareth away ghosts, createth for itself goblins—it wanteth to laugh.
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I no longer feel in common with you; the very cloud which I see beneath me, the blackness and heaviness at which I laugh—that is your thunder-cloud.
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Ye look aloft when ye long for exaltation; and I look downward because I am exalted.
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Who among you can at the same time laugh and be exalted?
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He who climbeth on the highest mountains, laugheth at all tragic plays and tragic realities.
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Courageous, unconcerned, scornful, coercive—so wisdom wisheth us; she is a woman, and ever loveth only a warrior.
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Ye tell me, “Life is hard to bear.” But for what purpose should ye have your pride in the morning and your resignation in the evening?
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Life is hard to bear: but do not affect to be so delicate! We are all of us fine sumpter asses and assesses.
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What have we in common with the rose-bud, which trembleth because a drop of dew hath formed upon it?
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It is true we love life; not because we are wont to live, but because we are wont to love.
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There is always some madness in love. But there is always, also, some method in madness.
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And to me also, who appreciate life, the butterflies, and soap-bubbles, and whatever is like them amongst us, seem most to enjoy happiness.
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To see these light, foolish, pretty, lively little sprites flit about—that moveth Zarathustra to tears and songs.
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I should only believe in a God that would know how to dance.
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And when I saw my devil, I found him serious, thorough, profound, solemn: he was the spirit of gravity—through him all things fall.
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Not by wrath, but by laughter, do we slay. Come, let us slay the spirit of gravity!
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I learned to walk; since then have I let myself run. I learned to fly; since then I do not need pushing in order to move from a spot.
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Now am I light, now do I fly; now do I see myself under myself. Now there danceth a God in me.—
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Thus spake Zarathustra.
8. VIII. THE TREE ON THE HILL.
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Zarathustra’s eye had perceived that a certain youth avoided him. And as he walked alone one evening over the hills surrounding the town called “The Pied Cow,” behold, there found he the youth sitting leaning against a tree, and gazing with wearied look into the valley. Zarathustra thereupon laid hold of the tree beside which the youth sat, and spake thus:
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“If I wished to shake this tree with my hands, I should not be able to do so.
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But the wind, which we see not, troubleth and bendeth it as it listeth. We are sorest bent and troubled by invisible hands.”
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Thereupon the youth arose disconcerted, and said: “I hear Zarathustra, and just now was I thinking of him!” Zarathustra answered:
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“Why art thou frightened on that account?—But it is the same with man as with the tree.
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The more he seeketh to rise into the height and light, the more vigorously do his roots struggle earthward, downward, into the dark and deep—into the evil.”
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“Yea, into the evil!” cried the youth. “How is it possible that thou hast discovered my soul?”
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Zarathustra smiled, and said: “Many a soul one will never discover, unless one first invent it.”
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“Yea, into the evil!” cried the youth once more.
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“Thou saidst the truth, Zarathustra. I trust myself no longer since I sought to rise into the height, and nobody trusteth me any longer; how doth that happen?
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I change too quickly: my to-day refuteth my yesterday. I often overleap the steps when I clamber; for so doing, none of the steps pardons me.
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When aloft, I find myself always alone. No one speaketh unto me; the frost of solitude maketh me tremble. What do I seek on the height?
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My contempt and my longing increase together; the higher I clamber, the more do I despise him who clambereth. What doth he seek on the height?
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How ashamed I am of my clambering and stumbling! How I mock at my violent panting! How I hate him who flieth! How tired I am on the height!”
225
Here the youth was silent. And Zarathustra contemplated the tree beside which they stood, and spake thus:
226
“This tree standeth lonely here on the hills; it hath grown up high above man and beast.
227
And if it wanted to speak, it would have none who could understand it: so high hath it grown.
228
Now it waiteth and waiteth,—for what doth it wait? It dwelleth too close to the seat of the clouds; it waiteth perhaps for the first lightning?”
229
When Zarathustra had said this, the youth called out with violent gestures: “Yea, Zarathustra, thou speakest the truth. My destruction I longed for, when I desired to be on the height, and thou art the lightning for which I waited! Lo! what have I been since thou hast appeared amongst us? It is mine envy of thee that hath destroyed me!”—Thus spake the youth, and wept bitterly. Zarathustra, however, put his arm about him, and led the youth away with him.
230
And when they had walked a while together, Zarathustra began to speak thus:
231
It rendeth my heart. Better than thy words express it, thine eyes tell me all thy danger.
232
As yet thou art not free; thou still SEEKEST freedom. Too unslept hath thy seeking made thee, and too wakeful.
233
On the open height wouldst thou be; for the stars thirsteth thy soul. But thy bad impulses also thirst for freedom.
234
Thy wild dogs want liberty; they bark for joy in their cellar when thy spirit endeavoureth to open all prison doors.
235
Still art thou a prisoner—it seemeth to me—who deviseth liberty for himself: ah! sharp becometh the soul of such prisoners, but also deceitful and wicked.
236
To purify himself, is still necessary for the freedman of the spirit. Much of the prison and the mould still remaineth in him: pure hath his eye still to become.
237
Yea, I know thy danger. But by my love and hope I conjure thee: cast not thy love and hope away!
238
Noble thou feelest thyself still, and noble others also feel thee still, though they bear thee a grudge and cast evil looks. Know this, that to everybody a noble one standeth in the way.
239
Also to the good, a noble one standeth in the way: and even when they call him a good man, they want thereby to put him aside.
240
The new, would the noble man create, and a new virtue. The old, wanteth the good man, and that the old should be conserved.
241
But it is not the danger of the noble man to turn a good man, but lest he should become a blusterer, a scoffer, or a destroyer.
242
Ah! I have known noble ones who lost their highest hope. And then they disparaged all high hopes.
243
Then lived they shamelessly in temporary pleasures, and beyond the day had hardly an aim.
244
“Spirit is also voluptuousness,”—said they. Then broke the wings of their spirit; and now it creepeth about, and defileth where it gnaweth.
245
Once they thought of becoming heroes; but sensualists are they now. A trouble and a terror is the hero to them.
246
But by my love and hope I conjure thee: cast not away the hero in thy soul! Maintain holy thy highest hope!—
247
Thus spake Zarathustra.
9. IX. THE PREACHERS OF DEATH.
249
There are preachers of death: and the earth is full of those to whom desistance from life must be preached.
250
Full is the earth of the superfluous; marred is life by the many-too-many. May they be decoyed out of this life by the “life eternal”!
251
“The yellow ones”: so are called the preachers of death, or “the black ones.” But I will show them unto you in other colours besides.
252
There are the terrible ones who carry about in themselves the beast of prey, and have no choice except lusts or self-laceration. And even their lusts are self-laceration.
253
They have not yet become men, those terrible ones: may they preach desistance from life, and pass away themselves!
254
There are the spiritually consumptive ones: hardly are they born when they begin to die, and long for doctrines of lassitude and renunciation.
255
They would fain be dead, and we should approve of their wish! Let us beware of awakening those dead ones, and of damaging those living coffins!
256
They meet an invalid, or an old man, or a corpse—and immediately they say: “Life is refuted!”
257
But they only are refuted, and their eye, which seeth only one aspect of existence.
258
Shrouded in thick melancholy, and eager for the little casualties that bring death: thus do they wait, and clench their teeth.
259
Or else, they grasp at sweetmeats, and mock at their childishness thereby: they cling to their straw of life, and mock at their still clinging to it.
260
Their wisdom speaketh thus: “A fool, he who remaineth alive; but so far are we fools! And that is the foolishest thing in life!”
261
“Life is only suffering”: so say others, and lie not. Then see to it that YE cease! See to it that the life ceaseth which is only suffering!
262
And let this be the teaching of your virtue: “Thou shalt slay thyself! Thou shalt steal away from thyself!”—
263
“Lust is sin,”—so say some who preach death—“let us go apart and beget no children!”
264
“Giving birth is troublesome,”—say others—“why still give birth? One beareth only the unfortunate!” And they also are preachers of death.
265
“Pity is necessary,”—so saith a third party. “Take what I have! Take what I am! So much less doth life bind me!”
266
Were they consistently pitiful, then would they make their neighbours sick of life. To be wicked—that would be their true goodness.
267
But they want to be rid of life; what care they if they bind others still faster with their chains and gifts!—
268
And ye also, to whom life is rough labour and disquiet, are ye not very tired of life? Are ye not very ripe for the sermon of death?
269
All ye to whom rough labour is dear, and the rapid, new, and strange—ye put up with yourselves badly; your diligence is flight, and the will to self-forgetfulness.
270
If ye believed more in life, then would ye devote yourselves less to the momentary. But for waiting, ye have not enough of capacity in you—nor even for idling!
271
Everywhere resoundeth the voices of those who preach death; and the earth is full of those to whom death hath to be preached.
272
Or “life eternal”; it is all the same to me—if only they pass away quickly!—
273
Thus spake Zarathustra.
275
By our best enemies we do not want to be spared, nor by those either whom we love from the very heart. So let me tell you the truth!
276
My brethren in war! I love you from the very heart. I am, and was ever, your counterpart. And I am also your best enemy. So let me tell you the truth!
277
I know the hatred and envy of your hearts. Ye are not great enough not to know of hatred and envy. Then be great enough not to be ashamed of them!
278
And if ye cannot be saints of knowledge, then, I pray you, be at least its warriors. They are the companions and forerunners of such saintship.
279
I see many soldiers; could I but see many warriors! “Uniform” one calleth what they wear; may it not be uniform what they therewith hide!
280
Ye shall be those whose eyes ever seek for an enemy—for YOUR enemy. And with some of you there is hatred at first sight.
281
Your enemy shall ye seek; your war shall ye wage, and for the sake of your thoughts! And if your thoughts succumb, your uprightness shall still shout triumph thereby!
282
Ye shall love peace as a means to new wars—and the short peace more than the long.
283
You I advise not to work, but to fight. You I advise not to peace, but to victory. Let your work be a fight, let your peace be a victory!
284
One can only be silent and sit peacefully when one hath arrow and bow; otherwise one prateth and quarrelleth. Let your peace be a victory!
285
Ye say it is the good cause which halloweth even war? I say unto you: it is the good war which halloweth every cause.
286
War and courage have done more great things than charity. Not your sympathy, but your bravery hath hitherto saved the victims.
287
“What is good?” ye ask. To be brave is good. Let the little girls say: “To be good is what is pretty, and at the same time touching.”
288
They call you heartless: but your heart is true, and I love the bashfulness of your goodwill. Ye are ashamed of your flow, and others are ashamed of their ebb.
289
Ye are ugly? Well then, my brethren, take the sublime about you, the mantle of the ugly!
290
And when your soul becometh great, then doth it become haughty, and in your sublimity there is wickedness. I know you.
291
In wickedness the haughty man and the weakling meet. But they misunderstand one another. I know you.
292
Ye shall only have enemies to be hated, but not enemies to be despised. Ye must be proud of your enemies; then, the successes of your enemies are also your successes.
293
Resistance—that is the distinction of the slave. Let your distinction be obedience. Let your commanding itself be obeying!
294
To the good warrior soundeth “thou shalt” pleasanter than “I will.” And all that is dear unto you, ye shall first have it commanded unto you.
295
Let your love to life be love to your highest hope; and let your highest hope be the highest thought of life!
296
Your highest thought, however, ye shall have it commanded unto you by me—and it is this: man is something that is to be surpassed.
297
So live your life of obedience and of war! What matter about long life! What warrior wisheth to be spared!
298
I spare you not, I love you from my very heart, my brethren in war!—
299
Thus spake Zarathustra.
301
Somewhere there are still peoples and herds, but not with us, my brethren: here there are states.
302
A state? What is that? Well! open now your ears unto me, for now will I say unto you my word concerning the death of peoples.
303
A state, is called the coldest of all cold monsters. Coldly lieth it also; and this lie creepeth from its mouth: “I, the state, am the people.”
304
It is a lie! Creators were they who created peoples, and hung a faith and a love over them: thus they served life.
305
Destroyers, are they who lay snares for many, and call it the state: they hang a sword and a hundred cravings over them.
306
Where there is still a people, there the state is not understood, but hated as the evil eye, and as sin against laws and customs.
307
This sign I give unto you: every people speaketh its language of good and evil: this its neighbour understandeth not. Its language hath it devised for itself in laws and customs.
308
But the state lieth in all languages of good and evil; and whatever it saith it lieth; and whatever it hath it hath stolen.
309
False is everything in it; with stolen teeth it biteth, the biting one. False are even its bowels.
310
Confusion of language of good and evil; this sign I give unto you as the sign of the state. Verily, the will to death, indicateth this sign! Verily, it beckoneth unto the preachers of death!
311
Many too many are born: for the superfluous ones was the state devised!
312
See just how it enticeth them to it, the many-too-many! How it swalloweth and cheweth and recheweth them!
313
“On earth there is nothing greater than I: it is I who am the regulating finger of God”—thus roareth the monster. And not only the long-eared and short-sighted fall upon their knees!
314
Ah! even in your ears, ye great souls, it whispereth its gloomy lies! Ah! it findeth out the rich hearts which willingly lavish themselves!
315
Yea, it findeth you out too, ye conquerors of the old God! Weary ye became of the conflict, and now your weariness serveth the new idol!
316
Heroes and honourable ones, it would fain set up around it, the new idol! Gladly it basketh in the sunshine of good consciences,—the cold monster!
317
Everything will it give YOU, if YE worship it, the new idol: thus it purchaseth the lustre of your virtue, and the glance of your proud eyes.
318
It seeketh to allure by means of you, the many-too-many! Yea, a hellish artifice hath here been devised, a death-horse jingling with the trappings of divine honours!
319
Yea, a dying for many hath here been devised, which glorifieth itself as life: verily, a hearty service unto all preachers of death!
320
The state, I call it, where all are poison-drinkers, the good and the bad: the state, where all lose themselves, the good and the bad: the state, where the slow suicide of all—is called “life.”
321
Just see these superfluous ones! They steal the works of the inventors and the treasures of the wise. Culture, they call their theft—and everything becometh sickness and trouble unto them!
322
Just see these superfluous ones! Sick are they always; they vomit their bile and call it a newspaper. They devour one another, and cannot even digest themselves.
323
Just see these superfluous ones! Wealth they acquire and become poorer thereby. Power they seek for, and above all, the lever of power, much money—these impotent ones!
324
See them clamber, these nimble apes! They clamber over one another, and thus scuffle into the mud and the abyss.
325
Towards the throne they all strive: it is their madness—as if happiness sat on the throne! Ofttimes sitteth filth on the throne.—and ofttimes also the throne on filth.
326
Madmen they all seem to me, and clambering apes, and too eager. Badly smelleth their idol to me, the cold monster: badly they all smell to me, these idolaters.
327
My brethren, will ye suffocate in the fumes of their maws and appetites! Better break the windows and jump into the open air!
328
Do go out of the way of the bad odour! Withdraw from the idolatry of the superfluous!
329
Do go out of the way of the bad odour! Withdraw from the steam of these human sacrifices!
330
Open still remaineth the earth for great souls. Empty are still many sites for lone ones and twain ones, around which floateth the odour of tranquil seas.
331
Open still remaineth a free life for great souls. Verily, he who possesseth little is so much the less possessed: blessed be moderate poverty!
332
There, where the state ceaseth—there only commenceth the man who is not superfluous: there commenceth the song of the necessary ones, the single and irreplaceable melody.
333
There, where the state CEASETH—pray look thither, my brethren! Do ye not see it, the rainbow and the bridges of the Superman?—
334
Thus spake Zarathustra.
12. XII. THE FLIES IN THE MARKET-PLACE.
336
Flee, my friend, into thy solitude! I see thee deafened with the noise of the great men, and stung all over with the stings of the little ones.
337
Admirably do forest and rock know how to be silent with thee. Resemble again the tree which thou lovest, the broad-branched one—silently and attentively it o’erhangeth the sea.
338
Where solitude endeth, there beginneth the market-place; and where the market-place beginneth, there beginneth also the noise of the great actors, and the buzzing of the poison-flies.
339
In the world even the best things are worthless without those who represent them: those representers, the people call great men.
340
Little do the people understand what is great—that is to say, the creating agency. But they have a taste for all representers and actors of great things.
341
Around the devisers of new values revolveth the world:—invisibly it revolveth. But around the actors revolve the people and the glory: such is the course of things.
342
Spirit, hath the actor, but little conscience of the spirit. He believeth always in that wherewith he maketh believe most strongly—in HIMSELF!
343
Tomorrow he hath a new belief, and the day after, one still newer. Sharp perceptions hath he, like the people, and changeable humours.
344
To upset—that meaneth with him to prove. To drive mad—that meaneth with him to convince. And blood is counted by him as the best of all arguments.
345
A truth which only glideth into fine ears, he calleth falsehood and trumpery. Verily, he believeth only in Gods that make a great noise in the world!
346
Full of clattering buffoons is the market-place,—and the people glory in their great men! These are for them the masters of the hour.
347
But the hour presseth them; so they press thee. And also from thee they want Yea or Nay. Alas! thou wouldst set thy chair betwixt For and Against?
348
On account of those absolute and impatient ones, be not jealous, thou lover of truth! Never yet did truth cling to the arm of an absolute one.
349
On account of those abrupt ones, return into thy security: only in the market-place is one assailed by Yea? or Nay?
350
Slow is the experience of all deep fountains: long have they to wait until they know WHAT hath fallen into their depths.
351
Away from the market-place and from fame taketh place all that is great: away from the market-Place and from fame have ever dwelt the devisers of new values.
352
Flee, my friend, into thy solitude: I see thee stung all over by the poisonous flies. Flee thither, where a rough, strong breeze bloweth!
353
Flee into thy solitude! Thou hast lived too closely to the small and the pitiable. Flee from their invisible vengeance! Towards thee they have nothing but vengeance.
354
Raise no longer an arm against them! Innumerable are they, and it is not thy lot to be a fly-flap.
355
Innumerable are the small and pitiable ones; and of many a proud structure, rain-drops and weeds have been the ruin.
356
Thou art not stone; but already hast thou become hollow by the numerous drops. Thou wilt yet break and burst by the numerous drops.
357
Exhausted I see thee, by poisonous flies; bleeding I see thee, and torn at a hundred spots; and thy pride will not even upbraid.
358
Blood they would have from thee in all innocence; blood their bloodless souls crave for—and they sting, therefore, in all innocence.
359
But thou, profound one, thou sufferest too profoundly even from small wounds; and ere thou hadst recovered, the same poison-worm crawled over thy hand.
360
Too proud art thou to kill these sweet-tooths. But take care lest it be thy fate to suffer all their poisonous injustice!
361
They buzz around thee also with their praise: obtrusiveness, is their praise. They want to be close to thy skin and thy blood.
362
They flatter thee, as one flattereth a God or devil; they whimper before thee, as before a God or devil. What doth it come to! Flatterers are they, and whimperers, and nothing more.
363
Often, also, do they show themselves to thee as amiable ones. But that hath ever been the prudence of the cowardly. Yea! the cowardly are wise!
364
They think much about thee with their circumscribed souls—thou art always suspected by them! Whatever is much thought about is at last thought suspicious.
365
They punish thee for all thy virtues. They pardon thee in their inmost hearts only—for thine errors.
366
Because thou art gentle and of upright character, thou sayest: “Blameless are they for their small existence.” But their circumscribed souls think: “Blamable is all great existence.”
367
Even when thou art gentle towards them, they still feel themselves despised by thee; and they repay thy beneficence with secret maleficence.
368
Thy silent pride is always counter to their taste; they rejoice if once thou be humble enough to be frivolous.
369
What we recognise in a man, we also irritate in him. Therefore be on your guard against the small ones!
370
In thy presence they feel themselves small, and their baseness gleameth and gloweth against thee in invisible vengeance.
371
Sawest thou not how often they became dumb when thou approachedst them, and how their energy left them like the smoke of an extinguishing fire?
372
Yea, my friend, the bad conscience art thou of thy neighbours; for they are unworthy of thee. Therefore they hate thee, and would fain suck thy blood.
373
Thy neighbours will always be poisonous flies; what is great in thee—that itself must make them more poisonous, and always more fly-like.
374
Flee, my friend, into thy solitude—and thither, where a rough strong breeze bloweth. It is not thy lot to be a fly-flap.—
375
Thus spake Zarathustra.
377
I love the forest. It is bad to live in cities: there, there are too many of the lustful.
378
Is it not better to fall into the hands of a murderer, than into the dreams of a lustful woman?
379
And just look at these men: their eye saith it—they know nothing better on earth than to lie with a woman.
380
Filth is at the bottom of their souls; and alas! if their filth hath still spirit in it!
381
Would that ye were perfect—at least as animals! But to animals belongeth innocence.
382
Do I counsel you to slay your instincts? I counsel you to innocence in your instincts.
383
Do I counsel you to chastity? Chastity is a virtue with some, but with many almost a vice.
384
These are continent, to be sure: but doggish lust looketh enviously out of all that they do.
385
Even into the heights of their virtue and into their cold spirit doth this creature follow them, with its discord.
386
And how nicely can doggish lust beg for a piece of spirit, when a piece of flesh is denied it!
387
Ye love tragedies and all that breaketh the heart? But I am distrustful of your doggish lust.
388
Ye have too cruel eyes, and ye look wantonly towards the sufferers. Hath not your lust just disguised itself and taken the name of fellow-suffering?
389
And also this parable give I unto you: Not a few who meant to cast out their devil, went thereby into the swine themselves.
390
To whom chastity is difficult, it is to be dissuaded: lest it become the road to hell—to filth and lust of soul.
391
Do I speak of filthy things? That is not the worst thing for me to do.
392
Not when the truth is filthy, but when it is shallow, doth the discerning one go unwillingly into its waters.
393
Verily, there are chaste ones from their very nature; they are gentler of heart, and laugh better and oftener than you.
394
They laugh also at chastity, and ask: “What is chastity?
395
Is chastity not folly? But the folly came unto us, and not we unto it.
396
We offered that guest harbour and heart: now it dwelleth with us—let it stay as long as it will!”—
397
Thus spake Zarathustra.
399
“One, is always too many about me”—thinketh the anchorite. “Always once one—that maketh two in the long run!”
400
I and me are always too earnestly in conversation: how could it be endured, if there were not a friend?
401
The friend of the anchorite is always the third one: the third one is the cork which preventeth the conversation of the two sinking into the depth.
402
Ah! there are too many depths for all anchorites. Therefore, do they long so much for a friend, and for his elevation.
403
Our faith in others betrayeth wherein we would fain have faith in ourselves. Our longing for a friend is our betrayer.
404
And often with our love we want merely to overleap envy. And often we attack and make ourselves enemies, to conceal that we are vulnerable.
405
“Be at least mine enemy!”—thus speaketh the true reverence, which doth not venture to solicit friendship.
406
If one would have a friend, then must one also be willing to wage war for him: and in order to wage war, one must be CAPABLE of being an enemy.
407
One ought still to honour the enemy in one’s friend. Canst thou go nigh unto thy friend, and not go over to him?
408
In one’s friend one shall have one’s best enemy. Thou shalt be closest unto him with thy heart when thou withstandest him.
409
Thou wouldst wear no raiment before thy friend? It is in honour of thy friend that thou showest thyself to him as thou art? But he wisheth thee to the devil on that account!
410
He who maketh no secret of himself shocketh: so much reason have ye to fear nakedness! Aye, if ye were Gods, ye could then be ashamed of clothing!
411
Thou canst not adorn thyself fine enough for thy friend; for thou shalt be unto him an arrow and a longing for the Superman.
412
Sawest thou ever thy friend asleep—to know how he looketh? What is usually the countenance of thy friend? It is thine own countenance, in a coarse and imperfect mirror.
413
Sawest thou ever thy friend asleep? Wert thou not dismayed at thy friend looking so? O my friend, man is something that hath to be surpassed.
414
In divining and keeping silence shall the friend be a master: not everything must thou wish to see. Thy dream shall disclose unto thee what thy friend doeth when awake.
415
Let thy pity be a divining: to know first if thy friend wanteth pity. Perhaps he loveth in thee the unmoved eye, and the look of eternity.
416
Let thy pity for thy friend be hid under a hard shell; thou shalt bite out a tooth upon it. Thus will it have delicacy and sweetness.
417
Art thou pure air and solitude and bread and medicine to thy friend? Many a one cannot loosen his own fetters, but is nevertheless his friend’s emancipator.
418
Art thou a slave? Then thou canst not be a friend. Art thou a tyrant? Then thou canst not have friends.
419
Far too long hath there been a slave and a tyrant concealed in woman. On that account woman is not yet capable of friendship: she knoweth only love.
420
In woman’s love there is injustice and blindness to all she doth not love. And even in woman’s conscious love, there is still always surprise and lightning and night, along with the light.
421
As yet woman is not capable of friendship: women are still cats, and birds. Or at the best, cows.
422
As yet woman is not capable of friendship. But tell me, ye men, who of you are capable of friendship?
423
Oh! your poverty, ye men, and your sordidness of soul! As much as ye give to your friend, will I give even to my foe, and will not have become poorer thereby.
424
There is comradeship: may there be friendship!
425
Thus spake Zarathustra.
15. XV. THE THOUSAND AND ONE GOALS.
427
Many lands saw Zarathustra, and many peoples: thus he discovered the good and bad of many peoples. No greater power did Zarathustra find on earth than good and bad.
428
No people could live without first valuing; if a people will maintain itself, however, it must not value as its neighbour valueth.
429
Much that passed for good with one people was regarded with scorn and contempt by another: thus I found it. Much found I here called bad, which was there decked with purple honours.
430
Never did the one neighbour understand the other: ever did his soul marvel at his neighbour’s delusion and wickedness.
431
A table of excellencies hangeth over every people. Lo! it is the table of their triumphs; lo! it is the voice of their Will to Power.
432
It is laudable, what they think hard; what is indispensable and hard they call good; and what relieveth in the direst distress, the unique and hardest of all,—they extol as holy.
433
Whatever maketh them rule and conquer and shine, to the dismay and envy of their neighbours, they regard as the high and foremost thing, the test and the meaning of all else.
434
Verily, my brother, if thou knewest but a people’s need, its land, its sky, and its neighbour, then wouldst thou divine the law of its surmountings, and why it climbeth up that ladder to its hope.
435
“Always shalt thou be the foremost and prominent above others: no one shall thy jealous soul love, except a friend”—that made the soul of a Greek thrill: thereby went he his way to greatness.
436
“To speak truth, and be skilful with bow and arrow”—so seemed it alike pleasing and hard to the people from whom cometh my name—the name which is alike pleasing and hard to me.
437
“To honour father and mother, and from the root of the soul to do their will”—this table of surmounting hung another people over them, and became powerful and permanent thereby.
438
“To have fidelity, and for the sake of fidelity to risk honour and blood, even in evil and dangerous courses”—teaching itself so, another people mastered itself, and thus mastering itself, became pregnant and heavy with great hopes.
439
Verily, men have given unto themselves all their good and bad. Verily, they took it not, they found it not, it came not unto them as a voice from heaven.
440
Values did man only assign to things in order to maintain himself—he created only the significance of things, a human significance! Therefore, calleth he himself “man,” that is, the valuator.
441
Valuing is creating: hear it, ye creating ones! Valuation itself is the treasure and jewel of the valued things.
442
Through valuation only is there value; and without valuation the nut of existence would be hollow. Hear it, ye creating ones!
443
Change of values—that is, change of the creating ones. Always doth he destroy who hath to be a creator.
444
Creating ones were first of all peoples, and only in late times individuals; verily, the individual himself is still the latest creation.
445
Peoples once hung over them tables of the good. Love which would rule and love which would obey, created for themselves such tables.
446
Older is the pleasure in the herd than the pleasure in the ego: and as long as the good conscience is for the herd, the bad conscience only saith: ego.
447
Verily, the crafty ego, the loveless one, that seeketh its advantage in the advantage of many—it is not the origin of the herd, but its ruin.
448
Loving ones, was it always, and creating ones, that created good and bad. Fire of love gloweth in the names of all the virtues, and fire of wrath.
449
Many lands saw Zarathustra, and many peoples: no greater power did Zarathustra find on earth than the creations of the loving ones—“good” and “bad” are they called.
450
Verily, a prodigy is this power of praising and blaming. Tell me, ye brethren, who will master it for me? Who will put a fetter upon the thousand necks of this animal?
451
A thousand goals have there been hitherto, for a thousand peoples have there been. Only the fetter for the thousand necks is still lacking; there is lacking the one goal. As yet humanity hath not a goal.
452
But pray tell me, my brethren, if the goal of humanity be still lacking, is there not also still lacking—humanity itself?—
453
Thus spake Zarathustra.
455
Ye crowd around your neighbour, and have fine words for it. But I say unto you: your neighbour-love is your bad love of yourselves.
456
Ye flee unto your neighbour from yourselves, and would fain make a virtue thereof: but I fathom your “unselfishness.”
457
The THOU is older than the I; the THOU hath been consecrated, but not yet the I: so man presseth nigh unto his neighbour.
458
Do I advise you to neighbour-love? Rather do I advise you to neighbour-flight and to furthest love!
459
Higher than love to your neighbour is love to the furthest and future ones; higher still than love to men, is love to things and phantoms.
460
The phantom that runneth on before thee, my brother, is fairer than thou; why dost thou not give unto it thy flesh and thy bones? But thou fearest, and runnest unto thy neighbour.
461
Ye cannot endure it with yourselves, and do not love yourselves sufficiently: so ye seek to mislead your neighbour into love, and would fain gild yourselves with his error.
462
Would that ye could not endure it with any kind of near ones, or their neighbours; then would ye have to create your friend and his overflowing heart out of yourselves.
463
Ye call in a witness when ye want to speak well of yourselves; and when ye have misled him to think well of you, ye also think well of yourselves.
464
Not only doth he lie, who speaketh contrary to his knowledge, but more so, he who speaketh contrary to his ignorance. And thus speak ye of yourselves in your intercourse, and belie your neighbour with yourselves.
465
Thus saith the fool: “Association with men spoileth the character, especially when one hath none.”
466
The one goeth to his neighbour because he seeketh himself, and the other because he would fain lose himself. Your bad love to yourselves maketh solitude a prison to you.
467
The furthest ones are they who pay for your love to the near ones; and when there are but five of you together, a sixth must always die.
468
I love not your festivals either: too many actors found I there, and even the spectators often behaved like actors.
469
Not the neighbour do I teach you, but the friend. Let the friend be the festival of the earth to you, and a foretaste of the Superman.
470
I teach you the friend and his overflowing heart. But one must know how to be a sponge, if one would be loved by overflowing hearts.
471
I teach you the friend in whom the world standeth complete, a capsule of the good,—the creating friend, who hath always a complete world to bestow.
472
And as the world unrolled itself for him, so rolleth it together again for him in rings, as the growth of good through evil, as the growth of purpose out of chance.
473
Let the future and the furthest be the motive of thy to-day; in thy friend shalt thou love the Superman as thy motive.
474
My brethren, I advise you not to neighbour-love—I advise you to furthest love!—
475
Thus spake Zarathustra.
17. XVII. THE WAY OF THE CREATING ONE.
477
Wouldst thou go into isolation, my brother? Wouldst thou seek the way unto thyself? Tarry yet a little and hearken unto me.
478
“He who seeketh may easily get lost himself. All isolation is wrong”: so say the herd. And long didst thou belong to the herd.
479
The voice of the herd will still echo in thee. And when thou sayest, “I have no longer a conscience in common with you,” then will it be a plaint and a pain.
480
Lo, that pain itself did the same conscience produce; and the last gleam of that conscience still gloweth on thine affliction.
481
But thou wouldst go the way of thine affliction, which is the way unto thyself? Then show me thine authority and thy strength to do so!
482
Art thou a new strength and a new authority? A first motion? A self-rolling wheel? Canst thou also compel stars to revolve around thee?
483
Alas! there is so much lusting for loftiness! There are so many convulsions of the ambitions! Show me that thou art not a lusting and ambitious one!
484
Alas! there are so many great thoughts that do nothing more than the bellows: they inflate, and make emptier than ever.
485
Free, dost thou call thyself? Thy ruling thought would I hear of, and not that thou hast escaped from a yoke.
486
Art thou one ENTITLED to escape from a yoke? Many a one hath cast away his final worth when he hath cast away his servitude.
487
Free from what? What doth that matter to Zarathustra! Clearly, however, shall thine eye show unto me: free FOR WHAT?
488
Canst thou give unto thyself thy bad and thy good, and set up thy will as a law over thee? Canst thou be judge for thyself, and avenger of thy law?
489
Terrible is aloneness with the judge and avenger of one’s own law. Thus is a star projected into desert space, and into the icy breath of aloneness.
490
To-day sufferest thou still from the multitude, thou individual; to-day hast thou still thy courage unabated, and thy hopes.
491
But one day will the solitude weary thee; one day will thy pride yield, and thy courage quail. Thou wilt one day cry: “I am alone!”
492
One day wilt thou see no longer thy loftiness, and see too closely thy lowliness; thy sublimity itself will frighten thee as a phantom. Thou wilt one day cry: “All is false!”
493
There are feelings which seek to slay the lonesome one; if they do not succeed, then must they themselves die! But art thou capable of it—to be a murderer?
494
Hast thou ever known, my brother, the word “disdain”? And the anguish of thy justice in being just to those that disdain thee?
495
Thou forcest many to think differently about thee; that, charge they heavily to thine account. Thou camest nigh unto them, and yet wentest past: for that they never forgive thee.
496
Thou goest beyond them: but the higher thou risest, the smaller doth the eye of envy see thee. Most of all, however, is the flying one hated.
497
“How could ye be just unto me!”—must thou say—“I choose your injustice as my allotted portion.”
498
Injustice and filth cast they at the lonesome one: but, my brother, if thou wouldst be a star, thou must shine for them none the less on that account!
499
And be on thy guard against the good and just! They would fain crucify those who devise their own virtue—they hate the lonesome ones.
500
Be on thy guard, also, against holy simplicity! All is unholy to it that is not simple; fain, likewise, would it play with the fire—of the fagot and stake.
501
And be on thy guard, also, against the assaults of thy love! Too readily doth the recluse reach his hand to any one who meeteth him.
502
To many a one mayest thou not give thy hand, but only thy paw; and I wish thy paw also to have claws.
503
But the worst enemy thou canst meet, wilt thou thyself always be; thou waylayest thyself in caverns and forests.
504
Thou lonesome one, thou goest the way to thyself! And past thyself and thy seven devils leadeth thy way!
505
A heretic wilt thou be to thyself, and a wizard and a sooth-sayer, and a fool, and a doubter, and a reprobate, and a villain.
506
Ready must thou be to burn thyself in thine own flame; how couldst thou become new if thou have not first become ashes!
507
Thou lonesome one, thou goest the way of the creating one: a God wilt thou create for thyself out of thy seven devils!
508
Thou lonesome one, thou goest the way of the loving one: thou lovest thyself, and on that account despisest thou thyself, as only the loving ones despise.
509
To create, desireth the loving one, because he despiseth! What knoweth he of love who hath not been obliged to despise just what he loved!
510
With thy love, go into thine isolation, my brother, and with thy creating; and late only will justice limp after thee.
511
With my tears, go into thine isolation, my brother. I love him who seeketh to create beyond himself, and thus succumbeth.—
512
Thus spake Zarathustra.
18. XVIII. OLD AND YOUNG WOMEN.
514
“Why stealest thou along so furtively in the twilight, Zarathustra? And what hidest thou so carefully under thy mantle?
515
Is it a treasure that hath been given thee? Or a child that hath been born thee? Or goest thou thyself on a thief’s errand, thou friend of the evil?”—
516
Verily, my brother, said Zarathustra, it is a treasure that hath been given me: it is a little truth which I carry.
517
But it is naughty, like a young child; and if I hold not its mouth, it screameth too loudly.
518
As I went on my way alone to-day, at the hour when the sun declineth, there met me an old woman, and she spake thus unto my soul:
519
“Much hath Zarathustra spoken also to us women, but never spake he unto us concerning woman.”
520
And I answered her: “Concerning woman, one should only talk unto men.”
521
“Talk also unto me of woman,” said she; “I am old enough to forget it presently.”
522
And I obliged the old woman and spake thus unto her:
523
Everything in woman is a riddle, and everything in woman hath one solution—it is called pregnancy.
524
Man is for woman a means: the purpose is always the child. But what is woman for man?
525
Two different things wanteth the true man: danger and diversion. Therefore wanteth he woman, as the most dangerous plaything.
526
Man shall be trained for war, and woman for the recreation of the warrior: all else is folly.
527
Too sweet fruits—these the warrior liketh not. Therefore liketh he woman;—bitter is even the sweetest woman.
528
Better than man doth woman understand children, but man is more childish than woman.
529
In the true man there is a child hidden: it wanteth to play. Up then, ye women, and discover the child in man!
530
A plaything let woman be, pure and fine like the precious stone, illumined with the virtues of a world not yet come.
531
Let the beam of a star shine in your love! Let your hope say: “May I bear the Superman!”
532
In your love let there be valour! With your love shall ye assail him who inspireth you with fear!
533
In your love be your honour! Little doth woman understand otherwise about honour. But let this be your honour: always to love more than ye are loved, and never be the second.
534
Let man fear woman when she loveth: then maketh she every sacrifice, and everything else she regardeth as worthless.
535
Let man fear woman when she hateth: for man in his innermost soul is merely evil; woman, however, is mean.
536
Whom hateth woman most?—Thus spake the iron to the loadstone: “I hate thee most, because thou attractest, but art too weak to draw unto thee.”
537
The happiness of man is, “I will.” The happiness of woman is, “He will.”
538
“Lo! now hath the world become perfect!”—thus thinketh every woman when she obeyeth with all her love.
539
Obey, must the woman, and find a depth for her surface. Surface, is woman’s soul, a mobile, stormy film on shallow water.
540
Man’s soul, however, is deep, its current gusheth in subterranean caverns: woman surmiseth its force, but comprehendeth it not.—
541
Then answered me the old woman: “Many fine things hath Zarathustra said, especially for those who are young enough for them.
542
Strange! Zarathustra knoweth little about woman, and yet he is right about them! Doth this happen, because with women nothing is impossible?
543
And now accept a little truth by way of thanks! I am old enough for it!
544
Swaddle it up and hold its mouth: otherwise it will scream too loudly, the little truth.”
545
“Give me, woman, thy little truth!” said I. And thus spake the old woman:
546
“Thou goest to women? Do not forget thy whip!”—
547
Thus spake Zarathustra.
19. XIX. THE BITE OF THE ADDER.
549
One day had Zarathustra fallen asleep under a fig-tree, owing to the heat, with his arms over his face. And there came an adder and bit him in the neck, so that Zarathustra screamed with pain. When he had taken his arm from his face he looked at the serpent; and then did it recognise the eyes of Zarathustra, wriggled awkwardly, and tried to get away. “Not at all,” said Zarathustra, “as yet hast thou not received my thanks! Thou hast awakened me in time; my journey is yet long.” “Thy journey is short,” said the adder sadly; “my poison is fatal.” Zarathustra smiled. “When did ever a dragon die of a serpent’s poison?”—said he. “But take thy poison back! Thou art not rich enough to present it to me.” Then fell the adder again on his neck, and licked his wound.
550
When Zarathustra once told this to his disciples they asked him: “And what, O Zarathustra, is the moral of thy story?” And Zarathustra answered them thus:
551
The destroyer of morality, the good and just call me: my story is immoral.
552
When, however, ye have an enemy, then return him not good for evil: for that would abash him. But prove that he hath done something good to you.
553
And rather be angry than abash any one! And when ye are cursed, it pleaseth me not that ye should then desire to bless. Rather curse a little also!
554
And should a great injustice befall you, then do quickly five small ones besides. Hideous to behold is he on whom injustice presseth alone.
555
Did ye ever know this? Shared injustice is half justice. And he who can bear it, shall take the injustice upon himself!
556
A small revenge is humaner than no revenge at all. And if the punishment be not also a right and an honour to the transgressor, I do not like your punishing.
557
Nobler is it to own oneself in the wrong than to establish one’s right, especially if one be in the right. Only, one must be rich enough to do so.
558
I do not like your cold justice; out of the eye of your judges there always glanceth the executioner and his cold steel.
559
Tell me: where find we justice, which is love with seeing eyes?
560
Devise me, then, the love which not only beareth all punishment, but also all guilt!
561
Devise me, then, the justice which acquitteth every one except the judge!
562
And would ye hear this likewise? To him who seeketh to be just from the heart, even the lie becometh philanthropy.
563
But how could I be just from the heart! How can I give every one his own! Let this be enough for me: I give unto every one mine own.
564
Finally, my brethren, guard against doing wrong to any anchorite. How could an anchorite forget! How could he requite!
565
Like a deep well is an anchorite. Easy is it to throw in a stone: if it should sink to the bottom, however, tell me, who will bring it out again?
566
Guard against injuring the anchorite! If ye have done so, however, well then, kill him also!—
567
Thus spake Zarathustra.
20. XX. CHILD AND MARRIAGE.
569
I have a question for thee alone, my brother: like a sounding-lead, cast I this question into thy soul, that I may know its depth.
570
Thou art young, and desirest child and marriage. But I ask thee: Art thou a man ENTITLED to desire a child?
571
Art thou the victorious one, the self-conqueror, the ruler of thy passions, the master of thy virtues? Thus do I ask thee.
572
Or doth the animal speak in thy wish, and necessity? Or isolation? Or discord in thee?
573
I would have thy victory and freedom long for a child. Living monuments shalt thou build to thy victory and emancipation.
574
Beyond thyself shalt thou build. But first of all must thou be built thyself, rectangular in body and soul.
575
Not only onward shalt thou propagate thyself, but upward! For that purpose may the garden of marriage help thee!
576
A higher body shalt thou create, a first movement, a spontaneously rolling wheel—a creating one shalt thou create.
577
Marriage: so call I the will of the twain to create the one that is more than those who created it. The reverence for one another, as those exercising such a will, call I marriage.
578
Let this be the significance and the truth of thy marriage. But that which the many-too-many call marriage, those superfluous ones—ah, what shall I call it?
579
Ah, the poverty of soul in the twain! Ah, the filth of soul in the twain! Ah, the pitiable self-complacency in the twain!
580
Marriage they call it all; and they say their marriages are made in heaven.
581
Well, I do not like it, that heaven of the superfluous! No, I do not like them, those animals tangled in the heavenly toils!
582
Far from me also be the God who limpeth thither to bless what he hath not matched!
583
Laugh not at such marriages! What child hath not had reason to weep over its parents?
584
Worthy did this man seem, and ripe for the meaning of the earth: but when I saw his wife, the earth seemed to me a home for madcaps.
585
Yea, I would that the earth shook with convulsions when a saint and a goose mate with one another.
586
This one went forth in quest of truth as a hero, and at last got for himself a small decked-up lie: his marriage he calleth it.
587
That one was reserved in intercourse and chose choicely. But one time he spoilt his company for all time: his marriage he calleth it.
588
Another sought a handmaid with the virtues of an angel. But all at once he became the handmaid of a woman, and now would he need also to become an angel.
589
Careful, have I found all buyers, and all of them have astute eyes. But even the astutest of them buyeth his wife in a sack.
590
Many short follies—that is called love by you. And your marriage putteth an end to many short follies, with one long stupidity.
591
Your love to woman, and woman’s love to man—ah, would that it were sympathy for suffering and veiled deities! But generally two animals alight on one another.
592
But even your best love is only an enraptured simile and a painful ardour. It is a torch to light you to loftier paths.
593
Beyond yourselves shall ye love some day! Then LEARN first of all to love. And on that account ye had to drink the bitter cup of your love.
594
Bitterness is in the cup even of the best love: thus doth it cause longing for the Superman; thus doth it cause thirst in thee, the creating one!
595
Thirst in the creating one, arrow and longing for the Superman: tell me, my brother, is this thy will to marriage?
596
Holy call I such a will, and such a marriage.—
597
Thus spake Zarathustra.
21. XXI. VOLUNTARY DEATH.
599
Many die too late, and some die too early. Yet strange soundeth the precept: “Die at the right time!
600
Die at the right time: so teacheth Zarathustra.
601
To be sure, he who never liveth at the right time, how could he ever die at the right time? Would that he might never be born!—Thus do I advise the superfluous ones.
602
But even the superfluous ones make much ado about their death, and even the hollowest nut wanteth to be cracked.
603
Every one regardeth dying as a great matter: but as yet death is not a festival. Not yet have people learned to inaugurate the finest festivals.
604
The consummating death I show unto you, which becometh a stimulus and promise to the living.
605
His death, dieth the consummating one triumphantly, surrounded by hoping and promising ones.
606
Thus should one learn to die; and there should be no festival at which such a dying one doth not consecrate the oaths of the living!
607
Thus to die is best; the next best, however, is to die in battle, and sacrifice a great soul.
608
But to the fighter equally hateful as to the victor, is your grinning death which stealeth nigh like a thief,—and yet cometh as master.
609
My death, praise I unto you, the voluntary death, which cometh unto me because I want it.
610
And when shall I want it?—He that hath a goal and an heir, wanteth death at the right time for the goal and the heir.
611
And out of reverence for the goal and the heir, he will hang up no more withered wreaths in the sanctuary of life.
612
Verily, not the rope-makers will I resemble: they lengthen out their cord, and thereby go ever backward.
613
Many a one, also, waxeth too old for his truths and triumphs; a toothless mouth hath no longer the right to every truth.
614
And whoever wanteth to have fame, must take leave of honour betimes, and practise the difficult art of—going at the right time.
615
One must discontinue being feasted upon when one tasteth best: that is known by those who want to be long loved.
616
Sour apples are there, no doubt, whose lot is to wait until the last day of autumn: and at the same time they become ripe, yellow, and shrivelled.
617
In some ageth the heart first, and in others the spirit. And some are hoary in youth, but the late young keep long young.
618
To many men life is a failure; a poison-worm gnaweth at their heart. Then let them see to it that their dying is all the more a success.
619
Many never become sweet; they rot even in the summer. It is cowardice that holdeth them fast to their branches.
620
Far too many live, and far too long hang they on their branches. Would that a storm came and shook all this rottenness and worm-eatenness from the tree!
621
Would that there came preachers of SPEEDY death! Those would be the appropriate storms and agitators of the trees of life! But I hear only slow death preached, and patience with all that is “earthly.”
622
Ah! ye preach patience with what is earthly? This earthly is it that hath too much patience with you, ye blasphemers!
623
Verily, too early died that Hebrew whom the preachers of slow death honour: and to many hath it proved a calamity that he died too early.
624
As yet had he known only tears, and the melancholy of the Hebrews, together with the hatred of the good and just—the Hebrew Jesus: then was he seized with the longing for death.
625
Had he but remained in the wilderness, and far from the good and just! Then, perhaps, would he have learned to live, and love the earth—and laughter also!
626
Believe it, my brethren! He died too early; he himself would have disavowed his doctrine had he attained to my age! Noble enough was he to disavow!
627
But he was still immature. Immaturely loveth the youth, and immaturely also hateth he man and earth. Confined and awkward are still his soul and the wings of his spirit.
628
But in man there is more of the child than in the youth, and less of melancholy: better understandeth he about life and death.
629
Free for death, and free in death; a holy Naysayer, when there is no longer time for Yea: thus understandeth he about death and life.
630
That your dying may not be a reproach to man and the earth, my friends: that do I solicit from the honey of your soul.
631
In your dying shall your spirit and your virtue still shine like an evening after-glow around the earth: otherwise your dying hath been unsatisfactory.
632
Thus will I die myself, that ye friends may love the earth more for my sake; and earth will I again become, to have rest in her that bore me.
633
Verily, a goal had Zarathustra; he threw his ball. Now be ye friends the heirs of my goal; to you throw I the golden ball.
634
Best of all, do I see you, my friends, throw the golden ball! And so tarry I still a little while on the earth—pardon me for it!
635
Thus spake Zarathustra.
22. XXII. THE BESTOWING VIRTUE.
638
When Zarathustra had taken leave of the town to which his heart was attached, the name of which is “The Pied Cow,” there followed him many people who called themselves his disciples, and kept him company. Thus came they to a crossroad. Then Zarathustra told them that he now wanted to go alone; for he was fond of going alone. His disciples, however, presented him at his departure with a staff, on the golden handle of which a serpent twined round the sun. Zarathustra rejoiced on account of the staff, and supported himself thereon; then spake he thus to his disciples:
639
Tell me, pray: how came gold to the highest value? Because it is uncommon, and unprofiting, and beaming, and soft in lustre; it always bestoweth itself.
640
Only as image of the highest virtue came gold to the highest value. Goldlike, beameth the glance of the bestower. Gold-lustre maketh peace between moon and sun.
641
Uncommon is the highest virtue, and unprofiting, beaming is it, and soft of lustre: a bestowing virtue is the highest virtue.
642
Verily, I divine you well, my disciples: ye strive like me for the bestowing virtue. What should ye have in common with cats and wolves?
643
It is your thirst to become sacrifices and gifts yourselves: and therefore have ye the thirst to accumulate all riches in your soul.
644
Insatiably striveth your soul for treasures and jewels, because your virtue is insatiable in desiring to bestow.
645
Ye constrain all things to flow towards you and into you, so that they shall flow back again out of your fountain as the gifts of your love.
646
Verily, an appropriator of all values must such bestowing love become; but healthy and holy, call I this selfishness.—
647
Another selfishness is there, an all-too-poor and hungry kind, which would always steal—the selfishness of the sick, the sickly selfishness.
648
With the eye of the thief it looketh upon all that is lustrous; with the craving of hunger it measureth him who hath abundance; and ever doth it prowl round the tables of bestowers.
649
Sickness speaketh in such craving, and invisible degeneration; of a sickly body, speaketh the larcenous craving of this selfishness.
650
Tell me, my brother, what do we think bad, and worst of all? Is it not DEGENERATION?—And we always suspect degeneration when the bestowing soul is lacking.
651
Upward goeth our course from genera on to super-genera. But a horror to us is the degenerating sense, which saith: “All for myself.”
652
Upward soareth our sense: thus is it a simile of our body, a simile of an elevation. Such similes of elevations are the names of the virtues.
653
Thus goeth the body through history, a becomer and fighter. And the spirit—what is it to the body? Its fights’ and victories’ herald, its companion and echo.
654
Similes, are all names of good and evil; they do not speak out, they only hint. A fool who seeketh knowledge from them!
655
Give heed, my brethren, to every hour when your spirit would speak in similes: there is the origin of your virtue.
656
Elevated is then your body, and raised up; with its delight, enraptureth it the spirit; so that it becometh creator, and valuer, and lover, and everything’s benefactor.
657
When your heart overfloweth broad and full like the river, a blessing and a danger to the lowlanders: there is the origin of your virtue.
658
When ye are exalted above praise and blame, and your will would command all things, as a loving one’s will: there is the origin of your virtue.
659
When ye despise pleasant things, and the effeminate couch, and cannot couch far enough from the effeminate: there is the origin of your virtue.
660
When ye are willers of one will, and when that change of every need is needful to you: there is the origin of your virtue.
661
Verily, a new good and evil is it! Verily, a new deep murmuring, and the voice of a new fountain!
662
Power is it, this new virtue; a ruling thought is it, and around it a subtle soul: a golden sun, with the serpent of knowledge around it.
664
Here paused Zarathustra awhile, and looked lovingly on his disciples. Then he continued to speak thus—and his voice had changed:
665
Remain true to the earth, my brethren, with the power of your virtue! Let your bestowing love and your knowledge be devoted to be the meaning of the earth! Thus do I pray and conjure you.
666
Let it not fly away from the earthly and beat against eternal walls with its wings! Ah, there hath always been so much flown-away virtue!
667
Lead, like me, the flown-away virtue back to the earth—yea, back to body and life: that it may give to the earth its meaning, a human meaning!
668
A hundred times hitherto hath spirit as well as virtue flown away and blundered. Alas! in our body dwelleth still all this delusion and blundering: body and will hath it there become.
669
A hundred times hitherto hath spirit as well as virtue attempted and erred. Yea, an attempt hath man been. Alas, much ignorance and error hath become embodied in us!
670
Not only the rationality of millenniums—also their madness, breaketh out in us. Dangerous is it to be an heir.
671
Still fight we step by step with the giant Chance, and over all mankind hath hitherto ruled nonsense, the lack-of-sense.
672
Let your spirit and your virtue be devoted to the sense of the earth, my brethren: let the value of everything be determined anew by you! Therefore shall ye be fighters! Therefore shall ye be creators!
673
Intelligently doth the body purify itself; attempting with intelligence it exalteth itself; to the discerners all impulses sanctify themselves; to the exalted the soul becometh joyful.
674
Physician, heal thyself: then wilt thou also heal thy patient. Let it be his best cure to see with his eyes him who maketh himself whole.
675
A thousand paths are there which have never yet been trodden; a thousand salubrities and hidden islands of life. Unexhausted and undiscovered is still man and man’s world.
676
Awake and hearken, ye lonesome ones! From the future come winds with stealthy pinions, and to fine ears good tidings are proclaimed.
677
Ye lonesome ones of to-day, ye seceding ones, ye shall one day be a people: out of you who have chosen yourselves, shall a chosen people arise:—and out of it the Superman.
678
Verily, a place of healing shall the earth become! And already is a new odour diffused around it, a salvation-bringing odour—and a new hope!
680
When Zarathustra had spoken these words, he paused, like one who had not said his last word; and long did he balance the staff doubtfully in his hand. At last he spake thus—and his voice had changed:
681
I now go alone, my disciples! Ye also now go away, and alone! So will I have it.
682
Verily, I advise you: depart from me, and guard yourselves against Zarathustra! And better still: be ashamed of him! Perhaps he hath deceived you.
683
The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies, but also to hate his friends.
684
One requiteth a teacher badly if one remain merely a scholar. And why will ye not pluck at my wreath?
685
Ye venerate me; but what if your veneration should some day collapse? Take heed lest a statue crush you!
686
Ye say, ye believe in Zarathustra? But of what account is Zarathustra! Ye are my believers: but of what account are all believers!
687
Ye had not yet sought yourselves: then did ye find me. So do all believers; therefore all belief is of so little account.
688
Now do I bid you lose me and find yourselves; and only when ye have all denied me, will I return unto you.
689
Verily, with other eyes, my brethren, shall I then seek my lost ones; with another love shall I then love you.
690
And once again shall ye have become friends unto me, and children of one hope: then will I be with you for the third time, to celebrate the great noontide with you.
691
And it is the great noontide, when man is in the middle of his course between animal and Superman, and celebrateth his advance to the evening as his highest hope: for it is the advance to a new morning.
692
At such time will the down-goer bless himself, that he should be an over-goer; and the sun of his knowledge will be at noontide.
693
“DEAD ARE ALL THE GODS: NOW DO WE DESIRE THE SUPERMAN TO LIVE.”—Let this be our final will at the great noontide!—
694
Thus spake Zarathustra.
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