Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche, R. J. Hollingdale Page B
Authors: Friedrich Nietzsche, R. J. Hollingdale
Ads: Link
knocks at my door must take what I offer him. Eat, and fare you well!’
After that, Zarathustra walked two hours more and trusted to the road and to the light of the stars: for he was used to walking abroad at night and liked to look into the face of all that slept. But when morning dawned, Zarathustra found himself in a thick forest and the road disappeared. Then he laid the dead man in a hollow tree at his head – for he wanted to protect him from the wolves – and laid himself down on the mossy ground. And straightway he fell asleep, weary in body but with a soul at rest.
9
Zarathustra slept long, and not only the dawn but the morning too passed over his head. But at length he opened his eyes: in surprise Zarathustra gazed into the forest and the stillness, in surprise he gazed into himself. Then he arose quickly, like a seafarer who suddenly sees land, and rejoiced: for he beheld a new truth. And then he spoke to his heart thus:
A light has dawned for me: I need companions, living ones, not dead companions and corpses which I carry with me wherever I wish.
But I need living companions who follow me because they want to follow themselves – and who want to go where I want to go.
A light has dawned for me: Zarathustra shall not speak to the people but to companions! Zarathustra shall not be herdsman and dog to the herd!
To lure many away from the herd – that is why I have come. The people and the herd shall be angry with me: the herdsmen shall call Zarathustra a robber.
I say herdsmen, but they call themselves the good and the just. I say herdsmen: but they call themselves the faithful of the true faith.
Behold the good and the just! Whom do they hate most? Him who smashes their tables of values, the breaker, the lawbreaker 4 – but he is the creator.
Behold the faithful of all faiths! Whom do they hate themost? Him who smashes their tables of values, the breaker, the law-breaker – but he is the creator.
The creator seeks companions, not corpses or herds or believers. The creator seeks fellow-creators, those who inscribe new values on new tables.
The creator seeks companions and fellow-harvesters: for with him everything is ripe for harvesting. But he lacks his hundred sickles: so he tears off the ears of corn and is vexed.
The creator seeks companions and such as know how to whet their sickles. They will be called destroyers and despisers of good and evil. But they are harvesters and rejoicers.
Zarathustra seeks fellow-creators, fellow-harvesters, and fellow-rejoicers: what has he to do with herds and herdsmen and corpses!
And you, my first companion, fare you well! I have buried you well in your hollow tree, I have hidden you well from the wolves.
But I am leaving you, the time has come. Between dawn and dawn a new truth has come to me.
I will not be herdsman or gravedigger. I will not speak again to the people: I have spoken to a dead man for the last time.
I will make company with creators, with harvesters, with rejoicers: I will show them the rainbow and the stairway to the Superman.
I shall sing my song to the lone hermit and to the hermits in pairs; and I will make the heart of him who still has ears for unheard-of things heavy with my happiness.
I make for my goal, I go my way; I shall leap over the hesitating and the indolent. Thus may my going-forward be their going-down!
10
Zarathustra said this to his heart as the sun stood at noon: then he looked inquiringly into the sky – for he heard above him the sharp cry of a bird. And behold! An eagle was sweeping through the air in wide circles, and from it was hanging aserpent, not like a prey but like a friend: for it was coiled around the eagle’s neck.
‘It is my animals!’ said Zarathustra and rejoiced in his heart.
‘The proudest animal under the sun and the wisest animal under the sun’ they have come scouting.
‘They wanted to learn if Zarathustra was still alive. Am I in fact alive?
‘I found it more dangerous among men
After that, Zarathustra walked two hours more and trusted to the road and to the light of the stars: for he was used to walking abroad at night and liked to look into the face of all that slept. But when morning dawned, Zarathustra found himself in a thick forest and the road disappeared. Then he laid the dead man in a hollow tree at his head – for he wanted to protect him from the wolves – and laid himself down on the mossy ground. And straightway he fell asleep, weary in body but with a soul at rest.
9
Zarathustra slept long, and not only the dawn but the morning too passed over his head. But at length he opened his eyes: in surprise Zarathustra gazed into the forest and the stillness, in surprise he gazed into himself. Then he arose quickly, like a seafarer who suddenly sees land, and rejoiced: for he beheld a new truth. And then he spoke to his heart thus:
A light has dawned for me: I need companions, living ones, not dead companions and corpses which I carry with me wherever I wish.
But I need living companions who follow me because they want to follow themselves – and who want to go where I want to go.
A light has dawned for me: Zarathustra shall not speak to the people but to companions! Zarathustra shall not be herdsman and dog to the herd!
To lure many away from the herd – that is why I have come. The people and the herd shall be angry with me: the herdsmen shall call Zarathustra a robber.
I say herdsmen, but they call themselves the good and the just. I say herdsmen: but they call themselves the faithful of the true faith.
Behold the good and the just! Whom do they hate most? Him who smashes their tables of values, the breaker, the lawbreaker 4 – but he is the creator.
Behold the faithful of all faiths! Whom do they hate themost? Him who smashes their tables of values, the breaker, the law-breaker – but he is the creator.
The creator seeks companions, not corpses or herds or believers. The creator seeks fellow-creators, those who inscribe new values on new tables.
The creator seeks companions and fellow-harvesters: for with him everything is ripe for harvesting. But he lacks his hundred sickles: so he tears off the ears of corn and is vexed.
The creator seeks companions and such as know how to whet their sickles. They will be called destroyers and despisers of good and evil. But they are harvesters and rejoicers.
Zarathustra seeks fellow-creators, fellow-harvesters, and fellow-rejoicers: what has he to do with herds and herdsmen and corpses!
And you, my first companion, fare you well! I have buried you well in your hollow tree, I have hidden you well from the wolves.
But I am leaving you, the time has come. Between dawn and dawn a new truth has come to me.
I will not be herdsman or gravedigger. I will not speak again to the people: I have spoken to a dead man for the last time.
I will make company with creators, with harvesters, with rejoicers: I will show them the rainbow and the stairway to the Superman.
I shall sing my song to the lone hermit and to the hermits in pairs; and I will make the heart of him who still has ears for unheard-of things heavy with my happiness.
I make for my goal, I go my way; I shall leap over the hesitating and the indolent. Thus may my going-forward be their going-down!
10
Zarathustra said this to his heart as the sun stood at noon: then he looked inquiringly into the sky – for he heard above him the sharp cry of a bird. And behold! An eagle was sweeping through the air in wide circles, and from it was hanging aserpent, not like a prey but like a friend: for it was coiled around the eagle’s neck.
‘It is my animals!’ said Zarathustra and rejoiced in his heart.
‘The proudest animal under the sun and the wisest animal under the sun’ they have come scouting.
‘They wanted to learn if Zarathustra was still alive. Am I in fact alive?
‘I found it more dangerous among men
Similar Books
