Existentialism
Friedrich Nietzsche
(1844 - 1900)
Thus Spake Zarathustra
|
A
sublime one saw I today, a solemn one, a penitent of the
spirit: Oh, how my soul laughed at his ugliness! (thus
spake zarathustra) |
77.The Awakening
1.
AFTER the song of the wanderer
and shadow, the cave became all at once full of noise and
laughter: and since the assembled guests all spake simultaneously,
and even the ass, encouraged thereby, no longer remained silent,
a little aversion and scorn for his visitors came over Zarathustra,
although he rejoiced at their gladness. For it seemed to him
a sign of convalescence. So he slipped out into the open air
and spake to his animals.
"Whither hath their distress
now gone?" said he, and already did he himself feel relieved
of his petty disgust- "with me, it seemeth that they
have unlearned their cries of distress!
-Though, alas! not yet their
crying." And Zarathustra stopped his ears, for just then
did the YE-A of the ass mix strangely with the noisy jubilation
of those higher men.
"They are merry,"
he began again, "and who knoweth? perhaps at their host's
expense; and if they have learned of me to laugh, still it
is not my laughter they have learned.
But what matter about that!
They are old people: they recover in their own way, they laugh
in their own way; mine ears have already endured worse and
have not become peevish.
This day is a victory: he already
yieldeth, he fleeth, the spirit of gravity, mine old arch-enemy!
How well this day is about to end, which began so badly and
gloomily!
And it is about to end. Already
cometh the evening: over the sea rideth it hither, the good
rider! How it bobbeth, the blessed one, the home-returning
one, in its purple saddles!
The sky gazeth brightly thereon,
the world lieth deep. Oh, all ye strange ones who have come
to me, it is already worth while to have lived with me!"
Thus spake Zarathustra. And
again came the cries and laughter of the higher men out of
the cave: then began he anew:
"They bite at it, my bait
taketh, there departeth also from them their enemy, the spirit
of gravity. Now do they learn to laugh at themselves: do I
hear rightly?
My virile food taketh effect,
my strong and savoury sayings: and verily, I did not nourish
them with flatulent vegetables! But with warrior-food, with
conqueror-food: new desires did I awaken.
New hopes are in their arms
and legs, their hearts expand. They find new words, soon will
their spirits breathe wantonness.
Such food may sure enough not
be proper for children, nor even for longing girls old and
young. One persuadeth their bowels otherwise; I am not their
physician and teacher.
The disgust departeth from
these higher men; well! that is my victory. In my domain they
become assured; all stupid shame fleeth away; they empty themselves.
They empty their hearts, good
times return unto them, they keep holiday and ruminate,- they
become thankful.
That do I take as the best
sign: they become thankful. Not long will it be ere they devise
festivals, and put up memorials to their old joys.
They are convalescents!"
Thus spake Zarathustra joyfully to his heart and gazed outward;
his animals, however, pressed up to him, and honoured his
happiness and his silence.
2.
All on a sudden however, Zarathustra's
ear was frightened: for the cave which had hitherto been full
of noise and laughter, became all at once still as death;-
his nose, however, smelt a sweet-scented vapour and incense-odour,
as if from burning pine-cones.
"What happeneth? What
are they about?" he asked himself, and stole up to the
entrance, that he might be able unobserved to see his guests.
But wonder upon wonder! what was he then obliged to behold
with his own eyes!
"They have all of them
become pious again, they pray, they are mad!"- said he,
and was astonished beyond measure. And forsooth! all these
higher men, the two kings, the pope out of service, the evil
magician, the voluntary beggar, the wanderer and shadow, the
old soothsayer, the spiritually conscientious one, and the
ugliest manthey all lay on their knees like children and credulous
old women, and worshipped the ass. And just then began the
ugliest man to gurgle and snort, as if something unutterable
in him tried to find expression; when, however, he had actually
found words, behold! it was a pious, strange litany in praise
of the adored and censed ass. And the litany sounded thus:
Amen! And glory and honour
and wisdom and thanks and praise and strength be to our God,
from everlasting to everlasting!
-The ass, however, here brayed
YE-A.
He carried our burdens, he
hath taken upon him the form of a servant, he is patient of
heart and never saith Nay; and he who loveth his God chastiseth
him.
-The ass, however, here brayed
YE-A.
He speaketh not: except that
he ever saith Yea to the world which he created: thus doth
he extol his world. It is his artfulness that speaketh not:
thus is he rarely found wrong.
-The ass, however, here brayed
YE-A.
Uncomely goeth he through the
world. Grey is the favourite colour in which he wrappeth his
virtue. Hath he spirit, then doth he conceal it; every one,
however, believeth in his long ears.
-The ass, however, here brayed
YE-A.
What hidden wisdom it is to
wear long ears, and only to say Yea and never Nay! Hath he
not created the world in his own image, namely, as stupid
as possible?
-The ass, however, here brayed
YE-A.
Thou goest straight and crooked
ways; it concerneth thee little what seemeth straight or crooked
unto us men. Beyond good and evil is thy domain. It is thine
innocence not to know what innocence is.
-The ass, however, here brayed
YE-A.
Lo! how thou spurnest none
from thee, neither beggars nor kings. Thou sufferest little
children to come unto thee, and when the bad boys decoy thee,
then sayest thou simply, YE-A.
-The ass, however, here brayed
YE-A.
Thou lovest she-asses and fresh
figs, thou art no food-despiser. A thistle tickleth thy heart
when thou chancest to be hungry. There is the wisdom of a
God therein.
-The ass, however, here brayed
YE-A.
Ce
qu'on fait n'est jamais compris mais seulement loué ou blâmé.
Nietzsche, Gay Science |
