Fenrir's Fangs

32. The Dance-Song

  ONE evening went Zarathustra and his disciples through the forest;
and when he sought for a well, lo, he lighted upon a green meadow
peacefully surrounded by trees and bushes, where maidens were
dancing together. As soon as the maidens recognised Zarathustra,
they ceased dancing; Zarathustra, however, approached them with
friendly mien and spake these words:
  Cease not your dancing, ye lovely maidens! No game-spoiler hath come
to you with evil eye, no enemy of maidens.
  God's advocate am I with the devil: he, however, is the spirit of
gravity. How could I, ye light-footed ones, be hostile to divine
dances? Or to maidens' feet with fine ankles?
  To be sure, I am a forest, and a night of dark trees: but he who
is not afraid of my darkness, will find banks full of roses under my
cypresses.
  And even the little God may he find, who is dearest to maidens:
beside the well lieth he quietly, with closed eyes.
  Verily, in broad daylight did he fall asleep, the sluggard! Had he
perhaps chased butterflies too much?
  Upbraid me not, ye beautiful dancers, when I chasten the little
God somewhat! He will cry, certainly, and weep- but he is laughable
even when weeping!
  And with tears in his eyes shall he ask you for a dance; and I
myself will sing a song to his dance:
  A dance-song and satire on the spirit of gravity my supremest,
powerfulest devil, who is said to be "lord of the world."-
  And this is the song that Zarathustra sang when Cupid and the
maidens danced together:

  Of late did I gaze into thine eye, O Life! And into the unfathomable
did I there seem to sink.
  But thou pulledst me out with a golden angle; derisively didst
thou laugh when I called thee unfathomable.
  "Such is the language of all fish," saidst thou; "what they do not
fathom is unfathomable.
  But changeable am I only, and wild, and altogether a woman, and no
virtuous one:
  Though I be called by you men the 'profound one,' or the 'faithful
one,' 'the eternal one,' 'the mysterious one.'
  But ye men endow us always with your own virtues- alas, ye
virtuous ones!"
  Thus did she laugh, the unbelievable one; but never do I believe her
and her laughter, when she speaketh evil of herself.
  And when I talked face to face with my wild Wisdom, she said to me
angrily: "Thou willest, thou cravest, thou lovest; on that account
alone dost thou praise Life!"
  Then had I almost answered indignantly and told the truth to the
angry one; and one cannot answer more indignantly than when one
"telleth the truth" to one's Wisdom.
  For thus do things stand with us three. In my heart do I love only
Life- and verily, most when I hate her!
  But that I am fond of Wisdom, and often too fond, is because she
remindeth me very strongly of Life!
  She hath her eye, her laugh, and even her golden angle-rod: am I
responsible for it that both are so alike?
  And when once Life asked me: "Who is she then, this Wisdom?"- then
said I eagerly: "Ah, yes! Wisdom!
  One thirsteth for her and is not satisfied, one looketh through
veils, one graspeth through nets.
  Is she beautiful? What do I know! But the oldest carps are still
lured by her.
  Changeable is she, and wayward; often have I seen her bite her
lip, and pass the comb against the grain of her hair.
  Perhaps she is wicked and false, and altogether a woman; but when
she speaketh ill of herself, just then doth she seduce most."
  When I had said this unto Life, then laughed she maliciously, and
shut her eyes. "Of whom dost thou speak?" said she. "Perhaps of me?
  And if thou wert right- is it proper to say that in such wise to
my face! But now, pray, speak also of thy Wisdom!"
  Ah, and now hast thou again opened thine eyes, O beloved Life! And
into the unfathomable have I again seemed to sink.-

  Thus sang Zarathustra. But when the dance was over and the maidens
had departed, he became sad.
  "The sun hath been long set," said he at last, "the meadow is
damp, and from the forest cometh coolness.
  An unknown presence is about me, and gazeth thoughtfully. What! Thou
livest still, Zarathustra?
  Why? Wherefore? Whereby? Whither? Where? How? Is it not folly
still to live?-
  Ah, my friends; the evening is it which thus interrogateth in me.
Forgive me my sadness!
  Evening hath come on: forgive me that evening hath come on!"

  Thus sang Zarathustra.