(Continue from 56. Old and New Tables)
16.
"He who learneth much unlearneth all violent cravings"- that do
people now whisper to one another in all the dark lanes.
"Wisdom wearieth, nothing is worth while; thou shalt not crave!"-
this new table found I hanging even in the public markets.
Break up for me, O my brethren, break up also that new table! The
weary-o'-the-world put it up, and the preachers of death and the
jailer: for lo, it is also a sermon for slavery:-
Because they learned badly and not the best, and everything too
early and everything too fast; because they ate badly: from thence
hath resulted their ruined stomach;-
-For a ruined stomach, is their spirit: it persuadeth to death!
For verily, my brethren, the spirit is a stomach!
Life is a well of delight, but to him in whom the ruined stomach
speaketh, the father of affliction, all fountains are poisoned.
To discern: that is delight to the lion-willed! But he who hath
become weary, is himself merely "willed"; with him play all the waves.
And such is always the nature of weak men: they lose themselves on
their way. And at last asketh their weariness: "Why did we ever go
on the way? All is indifferent!"
To them soundeth it pleasant to have preached in their ears:
"Nothing is worth while! Ye shall not will!" That, however, is a
sermon for slavery.
O my brethren, a fresh blustering wind cometh Zarathustra unto all
way-weary ones; many noses will he yet make sneeze!
Even through walls bloweth my free breath, and into prisons and
imprisoned spirits!
Willing emancipateth: for willing is creating: so do I teach. And
only for creating shall ye learn!
And also the learning shall ye learn only from me, the learning
well!- He who hath ears let him hear!
17.
There standeth the boat- thither goeth it over, perhaps into vast
nothingness- but who willeth to enter into this "Perhaps"?
None of you want to enter into the death-boat! How should ye then be
world-weary ones!
World-weary ones! And have not even withdrawn from the earth!
Eager did I ever find you for the earth, amorous still of your own
earth-weariness!
Not in vain doth your lip hang down:- a small worldly wish still
sitteth thereon! And in your eye- floateth there not a cloudlet of
unforgotten earthly bliss?
There are on the earth many good inventions, some useful, some
pleasant: for their sake is the earth to be loved.
And many such good inventions are there, that they are like
woman's breasts: useful at the same time, and pleasant.
Ye world-weary ones, however! Ye earth-idlers! You, shall one beat
with stripes! With stripes shall one again make you sprightly limbs.
For if ye be not invalids, or decrepit creatures, of whom the
earth is weary, then are ye sly sloths, or dainty, sneaking
pleasure-cats. And if ye will not again run gaily, then shall ye- pass
away!
To the incurable shall one not seek to be a physician: thus teacheth
Zarathustra:- so shall ye pass away!
But more courage is needed to make an end than to make a new
verse: that do all physicians and poets know well.-
18.
O my brethren, there are tables which weariness framed, and tables
which slothfulness framed, corrupt slothfulness: although they speak
similarly, they want to be heard differently.-
See this languishing one! Only a span-breadth is he from his goal;
but from weariness hath he lain down obstinately in the dust, this
brave one!
From weariness yawneth he at the path, at the earth, at the goal,
and at himself: not a step further will he go,- this brave one!
Now gloweth the sun upon him, and the dogs lick at his sweat: but he
lieth there in his obstinacy and preferreth to languish:-
-A span-breadth from his goal, to languish! Verily, ye will have
to drag him into his heaven by the hair of his head- this hero!
Better still that ye let him lie where he hath lain down, that sleep
may come unto him, the comforter, with cooling patter-rain.
Let him lie, until of his own accord he awakeneth,- until of his own
accord he repudiateth all weariness, and what weariness hath taught
through him!
Only, my brethren, see that ye scare the dogs away from him, the
idle skulkers, and all the swarming vermin:-
-All the swarming vermin of the "cultured," that- feast on the sweat
of every hero!-
19.
I form circles around me and holy boundaries; ever fewer ascend with
me ever higher mountains: I build a mountain-range out of ever
holier mountains.-
But wherever ye would ascend with me, O my brethren, take care
lest a parasite ascend with you!
A parasite: that is a reptile, a creeping, cringing reptile, that
trieth to fatten on your infirm and sore places.
And this is its art: it divineth where ascending souls are weary, in
your trouble and dejection, in your sensitive modesty, doth it build
its loathsome nest.
Where the strong are weak, where the noble are all-too-gentle- there
buildeth it its loathsome nest; the parasite liveth where the great
have small sore-places.
What is the highest of all species of being, and what is the lowest?
The parasite is the lowest species; he, however, who is of the highest
species feedeth most parasites.
For the soul which hath the longest ladder, and can go deepest down:
how could there fail to be most parasites upon it?-
-The most comprehensive soul, which can run and stray and rove
furthest in itself; the most necessary soul, which out of joy flingeth
itself into chance:-
-The soul in Being, which plungeth into Becoming; the possessing
soul, which seeketh to attain desire and longing:-
-The soul fleeing from itself, which overtaketh itself in the widest
circuit; the wisest soul, unto which folly speaketh most sweetly:-
-The soul most self-loving, in which all things have their current
and counter-current, their ebb and their flow:- oh, how could the
loftiest soul fail to have the worst parasites?
20.
O my brethren, am I then cruel? But I say: What falleth, that
shall one also push!
Everything of today- it falleth, it decayeth; who would preserve it!
But I- I wish also to push it!
Know ye the delight which rolleth stones into precipitous depths?-
Those men of today, see just how they roll into my depths!
A prelude am I to better players, O my brethren! An example! Do
according to mine example!
And him whom ye do not teach to fly, teach I pray you- to fall
faster!-
21.
I love the brave: but it is not enough to be a swordsman,- one
must also know whereon to use swordsmanship!
And often is it greater bravery to keep quiet and pass by, that
thereby one may reserve oneself for a worthier foe!
Ye shall only have foes to be hated; but not foes to be despised: ye
must be proud of your foes. Thus have I already taught.
For the worthier foe, O my brethren, shall ye reserve yourselves:
therefore must ye pass by many a one,-
-Especially many of the rabble, who din your ears with noise about
people and peoples.
Keep your eye clear of their For and Against! There is there much
right, much wrong: he who looketh on becometh wroth.
Therein viewing, therein hewing- they are the same thing:
therefore depart into the forests and lay your sword to sleep!
Go your ways! and let the people and peoples go theirs!- gloomy
ways, verily, on which not a single hope glinteth any more!
Let there the trader rule, where all that still glittereth is-
traders' gold. It is the time of kings no longer: that which now
calleth itself the people is unworthy of kings.
See how these peoples themselves now do just like the traders:
they pick up the smallest advantage out of all kinds of rubbish!
They lay lures for one another, they lure things out of one
another,- that they call "good neighbourliness." O blessed remote
period when a people said to itself: "I will be- master over peoples!"
For, my brethren, the best shall rule, the best also willeth to
rule! And where the teaching is different, there- the best is lacking.
22.
If they had- bread for nothing, alas! for what would they cry! Their
maintainment- that is their true entertainment; and they shall have it
hard!
Beasts of prey, are they: in their "working"- there is even
plundering, in their "earning"- there is even over-reaching! Therefore
shall they have it hard!
Better beasts of prey shall they thus become, subtler, cleverer,
more man-like: for man is the best beast of prey.
All the animals hath man already robbed of their virtues: that is
why of all animals it hath been hardest for man.
Only the birds are still beyond him. And if man should yet learn
to fly, alas! to what height- would his rapacity fly!
23.
Thus would I have man and woman: fit for war, the one; fit for
maternity, the other; both, however, fit for dancing with head and
legs.
And lost be the day to us in which a measure hath not been danced.
And false be every truth which hath not had laughter along with it!
24.
Your marriage-arranging: see that it be not a bad arranging! Ye have
arranged too hastily: so there followeth therefrom- marriage-breaking!
And better marriage-breaking than marriage-bending, marriage-lying!-
Thus spake a woman unto me: "Indeed, I broke the marriage, but first
did the marriage break- me!
The badly paired found I ever the most revengeful: they make every
one suffer for it that they no longer run singly.
On that account want I the honest ones to say to one another: "We
love each other: let us see to it that we maintain our love! Or
shall our pledging be blundering?"
-"Give us a set term and a small marriage, that we may see if we are
fit for the great marriage! It is a great matter always to be twain."
Thus do I counsel all honest ones; and what would be my love to
the Superman, and to all that is to come, if I should counsel and
speak otherwise!
Not only to propagate yourselves onwards but upwards- thereto, O
my brethren, may the garden of marriage help you!
25.
He who hath grown wise concerning old origins, lo, he will at last
seek after the fountains of the future and new origins.-
O my brethren, not long will it be until new peoples shall arise and
new fountains shall rush down into new depths.
For the earthquake- it choketh up many wells, it causeth much
languishing: but it bringeth also to light inner powers and secrets.
The earthquake discloseth new fountains. In the earthquake of old
peoples new fountains burst forth.
And whoever calleth out: "Lo, here is a well for many thirsty
ones, one heart for many longing ones, one will for many
instruments":- around him collecteth a people, that is to say, many
attempting ones.
Who can command, who must obey- that is there attempted! Ah, with
what long seeking and solving and failing and learning and
re-attempting!
Human society: it is an attempt- so I teach- a long seeking: it
seeketh however the ruler!-
-An attempt, my brethren! And no "contract"! Destroy, I pray you,
destroy that word of the soft-hearted and half-and-half!
26.
O my brethren! With whom lieth the greatest danger to the whole
human future? Is it not with the good and just?-
-As those who say and feel in their hearts: "We already know what is
good and just, we possess it also; woe to those who still seek
thereafter!
And whatever harm the wicked may do, the harm of the good is the
harmfulest harm!
And whatever harm the world-maligners may do, the harm of the good
is the harmfulest harm!
O my brethren, into the hearts of the good and just looked some
one once on a time, who said: "They are the Pharisees." But people did
not understand him.
The good and just themselves were not free to understand him;
their spirit was imprisoned in their good conscience. The stupidity of
the good is unfathomably wise.
It is the truth, however, that the good must be Pharisees- they have
no choice!
The good must crucify him who deviseth his own virtue! That is the
truth!
The second one, however, who discovered their country- the
country, heart and soil of the good and just,- it was he who asked:
"Whom do they hate most?"
The creator, hate they most, him who breaketh the tables and old
values, the breaker,- him they call the law-breaker.
For the good- they cannot create; they are always the beginning of
the end:-
-They crucify him who writeth new values on new tables, they
sacrifice unto themselves the future- they crucify the whole human
future!
The good- they have always been the beginning of the end.-
27.
O my brethren, have ye also understood this word? And what I once
said of the "last man"?- -
With whom lieth the greatest danger to the whole human future? Is it
not with the good and just?
Break up, break up, I pray you, the good and just!- O my brethren,
have ye understood also this word?
28.
Ye flee from me? Ye are frightened? Ye tremble at this word?
O my brethren, when I enjoined you to break up the good, and the
tables of the good, then only did I embark man on his high seas.
And now only cometh unto him the great terror, the great outlook,
the great sickness, the great nausea, the great seasickness.
False shores and false securities did the good teach you; in the
lies of the good were ye born and bred. Everything hath been radically
contorted and distorted by the good.
But he who discovered the country of "man," discovered also the
country of "man's future." Now shall ye be sailors for me, brave,
patient!
Keep yourselves up betimes, my brethren, learn to keep yourselves
up! The sea stormeth: many seek to raise themselves again by you.
The sea stormeth: all is in the sea. Well! Cheer up! Ye old
seaman-hearts!
What of fatherland! Thither striveth our helm where our children's
land is! Thitherwards, stormier than the sea, stormeth our great
longing!-
29.
"Why so hard!"- said to the diamond one day the charcoal; "are we
then not near relatives?"-
Why so soft? O my brethren; thus do I ask you: are ye then not- my
brethren?
Why so soft, so submissive and yielding? Why is there so much
negation and abnegation in your hearts? Why is there so little fate in
your looks?
And if ye will not be fates and inexorable ones, how can ye one day-
conquer with me?
And if your hardness will not glance and cut and chip to pieces, how
can ye one day- create with me?
For the creators are hard. And blessedness must it seem to you to
press your hand upon millenniums as upon wax,-
-Blessedness to write upon the will of millenniums as upon brass,-
harder than brass, nobler than brass. Entirely hard is only the
noblest.
This new table, O my brethren, put I up over you: Become hard!-
30.
O thou, my Will! Thou change of every need, my needfulness! Preserve
me from all small victories!
Thou fatedness of my soul, which I call fate! Thou In-me! Over-me!
Preserve and spare me for one great fate!
And thy last greatness, my Will, spare it for thy last- that thou
mayest be inexorable in thy victory! Ah, who hath not succumbed to his
victory!
Ah, whose eye hath not bedimmed in this intoxicated twilight! Ah,
whose foot hath not faltered and forgotten in victory- how to stand!-
-That I may one day be ready and ripe in the great noon-tide:
ready and ripe like the glowing ore, the lightning-bearing cloud,
and the swelling milk-udder:-
-Ready for myself and for my most hidden Will: a bow eager for its
arrow, an arrow eager for its star:-
-A star, ready and ripe in its noontide, glowing, pierced,
blessed, by annihilating sun-arrows:-
-A sun itself, and an inexorable sun-will, ready for annihilation in
victory!
O Will, thou change of every need, my needfulness! Spare me for
one great victory!- -
Thus spake Zarathustra.
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