Latest / The Philosophy Insights Collection / 47 - Thus Spake Zarathustra - Friedrich Nietzsche
Transcript
- Third part, Chapter forty seven, involuntary bliss, with such enigmas and bitterness in his heart, did Zarathustra sail over the sea, when, however, he was four day journeys from the happy isles and from his friends. Then had he surmounted all his pain triumphantly and with firm foot? Did he again accept his fate? And then talked Zarathustra in this wise to his exulting conscience. Alone, am I again and like to be so alone with the pure heaven and the open sea? And again is the afternoon around me? On an afternoon? Did I find my friends for the first time on an afternoon? Also? Did I find them a second time? At the hour when all light becometh stiller? For whatever happiness is still on its way TwixT heaven and earth, now seeketh for lodging a luminous soul with happiness, hath all light now become stiller, Oh afternoon of my life? Once did my happiness also descend to the valley that it might seek a lodging? Then did it find those open, hospitable souls, Oh afternoon of my life? What did I not surrender that I might have one thing? This living plantation? Of my thoughts, and this dawn of my highest hope. Companions did the creating one once seek and children of his hope, And lo it turned out that he could not find them, except he himself should first create them. Thus am I, in the midst of my work to my children, going and from them returning For the sake of his children, must Zarathustra perfect himself. For in one's heart one loveth only one's child and one's work. And where there is great love to oneself, then is it the sign of pregnancy. So have I found it. Still are my children verdant in their first spring, standing nigh one another, and shaken in common by the winds, the trees of my garden and of my best soil. And verily, where such trees stand beside one another there are happy isle. But one day I will take them up and put each by itself alone, that it may learn lonesomeness and defiance and prudence. Gnarled and crooked and with flexible hardness, shall it then stand by the sea, a living lighthouse of unconquerable life. Yonder, with the storms rush down into the sea, and the snout of the mountain drinketh water, shall each on a time have his day and night watches for his testing and recognition. Recognized and tested, shall each be to see if he be of my type and lineage, if he be master of a long will, silent even when he speaketh, and giving, in such wise that he taketh in giving, so that he may one day become my companion, my fellow creator, and fellow enjoyer. With Zarathustra. Such a one as righteth my will on my tables for the fuller perfection of all things, and for his sake and for those like him, I must perfect myself. Therefore do I now avoid my happiness and present myself to every misfortune for my final testing and recognition. And verily it were time that I went away. And the wanderer's shadow, and the longest tedium and the stillest hour have all said unto me, it is the highest time. The word blew to me through the keyhole and said come. The door sprang subtly open to me, and said go. But I lay in chain to my love for my children, desire spread this snare for me, the desire for love, that I should become the prey of my children and lose myself in them, desiring, that is now for me to have lost myself. I possess you, my children. In this possessing, shall everything be assurance, and nothing desire but brooding? Lay the son of my love upon me in his own juice towed Zarathustra. Then did shadows and doubts fly past me for frost and winter. I now longed, oh that frost and winter would again make me crack and crunch sighed. I then arose icy mist out of me, My past burst its tomb, my pains buried alive, woke up fully slept, had they merely conceal'd in corpse clothes? So called everything unto me in signs it is time. But I heard not until at last mine abyss moved, and my thought bit me. Ah abysmal thought, which art my thought? When shall I find strength to hear thee burrowing? And no longer tremble to my very throat throbbeth my heart? When I hear thee burrowing? Thy muteness even is like to strangle me, Thou abysmal mute one. As yet have I never ventured to call thee up? It hath been enough that I have carried thee about with me, As yet have I not been strong enough for my final lie? In wantonness and playfulness? Sufficiently formidable under me? Hath my weight ever been? But one day shall I find the strength and the lion's voice which will call thee up? When I shall have surmounted myself therein? Then will I surmount myself also in that which is greater, and a victim shall be the seal of my perfection. Meanwhile, do I sail along on uncertain seas? Chance flattereth me, smooth tongued chance, forward and backward? Do I gaze still? I see no end? As yet? Hath the hour of my final struggle not come to me? Or doth it come to me? Perhaps? Just now? Verily? With insidious beauty? Do sea and life gaze upon me round about, Oh afternoon of my life, Oh happiness before eventide, Oh even upon high seas, Oh peace in uncertainty? How I distrust all of you? Verily? Distrustful am I of your insidious beauty? Like the lover am I who distrusteth too, sleek, smiling as he pusheth the best loved before him, tender even in severity, the jealous one. So do I push this blissful hour before me away with THEE thou blissful hour, with thee hath there come to me an involuntary bliss ready for my severest pain. Do I here stand at the wrong time? Hast thou come away with thee thou blissful hour? Rather harbor there with my children? Hasten and bless them before eventide, with my happiness there already approacheth eventide the sun sinketh away my happiness. Thus spake Zarathustra, and he waited for his misfortune the whole night. But he waited in vain. The night remained clear and calm, and happiness itself came nigher and nigher unto him. Towards morning, however, Zarathustra laughed to his heart and said, mockingly, happiness runneth after me. That is because I do not run after women. Happiness, however, is a woman. End of Chapter forty seven.