Thus Spake Zarathustra on Superphysics

Introduction

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

INTRODUCTION BY MRS FORSTER-NIETZSCHE.

HOW ZARATHUSTRA CAME INTO BEING.

“Zarathustra” is my brother’s most personal work; it is the history of his most individual experiences, of his friendships, ideals, raptures, bitterest disappointments and sorrows. Above it all, however, there soars, transfiguring it, the image of his greatest hopes and remotest aims. My brother had the figure of Zarathustra in his mind from his very earliest youth: he once told me that even as a child he had dreamt of him. At different periods in his life, he would call this haunter of his dreams by different names; “but in the end,” he declares in a note on the subject, “I had to do a PERSIAN the honour of identifying him with this creature of my fancy. Persians were the first to take a broad and comprehensive view of history. Every series of evolutions, according to them, was presided over by a prophet; and every prophet had his ‘Hazar,’—his dynasty of a thousand years.”

The Superman

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

THUS SPAKE ZARATHUSTRA.

FIRST PART. ZARATHUSTRA’S DISCOURSES.

ZARATHUSTRA’S PROLOGUE.

When Zarathustra was 30 years old, he left his home and went into the mountains for 10 years.

But at last his heart changed, saying :

The Superman

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Zarathustra

Man is a rope stretched between the animal and the Superman—a rope over an abyss. It is:

The Corpse

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

As evening came, the people dispersed.

Zarathustra, however, still sat beside the dead man on the ground, absorbed in thought: so he forgot the time.

Zarathustra said to himself:

Zarathustra

I have made a fine catch of fish to-day! I caught a corpse. Sombre is human life, and as yet without meaning: a buffoon may be fateful to it. I want to teach men the sense of their existence, which is the Superman, the lightning out of the dark cloud—man.

The Three Metamorphoses

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

ZARATHUSTRA’S DISCOURSES

Three metamorphoses of the spirit are:

how the spirit becomes a camel
the camel becomes a lion
The lion becomes a child.

Many heavy things are there for the spirit, the strong load-bearing spirit in which reverence dwelleth: for the heavy and the heaviest longeth its strength.

THE ACADEMIC CHAIRS OF VIRTUE

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

People commended Zarathustra as a wise man, as one who could talk well about sleep and virtue.

He was honoured and rewarded for it, and all the youths sat before his chair. To him went Zarathustra, and sat among the youths before his chair.

THE DESPISERS OF THE BODY

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

I wish to the despisers of the body neither to learn afresh, nor teach anew, but only to bid farewell to their own bodies, and thus be dumb.

The child says “I am body and soul”. Should we speak like children?

The Pale Criminal

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ye do not mean to slay, ye judges and sacrificers, until the animal hath bowed its head? Lo! the pale criminal hath bowed his head: out of his eye speaketh the great contempt.

The Tree on the Hill

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Zarathustra walked alone one evening over the hills surrounding the town called “The Pied Cow”

He saw that a youth avoided him.

That youth sat against a tree, gazing with wearied look into the valley.

War And Warriors

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

We do not want to be spared by:

our best enemies
those whom we deeply love

My brethren in war! I love you from the very heart.

I am, and was ever, your counterpart. I am also your best enemy.

The New Idol

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Somewhere there are still peoples and herds, but not with us, my brethren: here there are states.

What is a state?

A state is the coldest of all cold monsters.

Chastity

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

I love the forest. It is bad to live in cities: there, there are too many of the lustful.

Is it not better to fall into the hands of a murderer, than into the dreams of a lustful woman?

The 1,001 Goals

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Zarathustra saw many lands and many peoples.

Thus he discovered the good and bad of many peoples. No greater power did Zarathustra find on earth than good and bad.

No people could live without first valuing; if a people will maintain itself, however, it must not value as its neighbour valueth.

OLD AND YOUNG WOMEN

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

“Why do you hide, Zarathustra? Were you given a treasure? Or a child that hath been born thee? Or goest thou thyself on a thief’s errand, thou friend of the evil?”

CHILD AND MARRIAGE

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Is man ENTITLED to desire a child?

Art thou the victorious one, the self-conqueror, the ruler of thy passions, the master of thy virtues? Thus do I ask thee.

Or doth the animal speak in thy wish, and necessity? Or isolation? Or discord in thee?

The Bestowing Virtue

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

When Zarathustra had taken leave of the town to which his heart was attached, the name of which is “The Pied Cow,” there followed him many people who called themselves his disciples, and kept him company.

Thus came they to a crossroad. Then Zarathustra told them that he now wanted to go alone; for he was fond of going alone. His disciples, however, presented him at his departure with a staff, on the golden handle of which a serpent twined round the sun. Zarathustra rejoiced on account of the staff, and supported himself thereon; then spake he thus to his disciples:

The Child With The Mirror

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Zarathustra returned into the mountains to the solitude of his cave.

His soul, however, became impatient and full of longing for those whom he loved because he had still much to give them.

In The Happy Isles

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The figs fall from the trees, they are good and sweet. In falling, their skins break.

Thus, like figs, do these doctrines fall for you. Imbibe now their juice and their sweet substance! It is autumn all around, and clear sky, and afternoon.

The Priests

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

One day Zarathustra said to his disciples:

“These priests are my enemies. So pass them quietly and with sleeping swords! Even among them there are heroes; many of them have suffered too much—: so they want to make others suffer. They are bad enemies. Their meekness is most revengeful. He who touches them readily soil himself. But my blood is related to theirs; and I want withal to see my blood honoured in theirs.”

The Rabble

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Life is a well of delight; but where the rabble also drink, there all fountains are poisoned.

To everything cleanly am I well disposed; but I hate to see the grinning mouths and the thirst of the unclean.

The Famous Wise Ones

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The people have ye served and the people’s superstition—NOT the truth!—all ye famous wise ones! And just on that account did they pay you reverence.

And on that account also did they tolerate your unbelief, because it was a pleasantry and a by-path for the people. Thus doth the master give free scope to his slaves, and even enjoyeth their presumptuousness.

THE DANCE-SONG

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

One evening went Zarathustra and his disciples through the forest to a well 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:

SELF-SURPASSING

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

“Will to Truth” makes you ardent.

I call your will as “Will for the thinkableness of all being”!

All being would MAKE you thinkable because you doubt with good reason whether it is already thinkable.

The Land of Culture

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Too far did I fly into the future: a horror seized upon me. When I looked around me, there time was my sole contemporary.

Then did I fly backwards, homewards—and always faster. Thus did I come unto you, ye present-day men, and into the land of culture.

Great Events

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

There is an isle in the sea—not far from the Happy Isles of Zarathustra.

It has a volcano.

About the time that Zarathustra sojourned on the Happy Isles, it happened that a ship anchored at the isle on which standeth the smoking mountain, and the crew went ashore to shoot rabbits. About the noontide hour, however, when the captain and his men were together again, they saw suddenly a man coming towards them through the air, and a voice said distinctly: “It is time! It is the highest time!” But when the figure was nearest to them (it flew past quickly, however, like a shadow, in the direction of the volcano), then did they recognise with the greatest surprise that it was Zarathustra; for they had all seen him before except the captain himself, and they loved him as the people love: in such wise that love and awe were combined in equal degree.

The Poets

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Zarathustra to one of his disciples: “I have known the body better the spirit hath only been to me symbolically spirit; and all the ‘imperishable’—that is also but a simile.”

THE SOOTHSAYER

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

“—And I saw a great sadness come over mankind. The best turned weary of their works. A doctrine appeared, a faith ran beside it: ‘All is empty, all is alike, all hath been!’

MANLY PRUDENCE

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Not the height, it is the declivity that is terrible!

The declivity, where the gaze shooteth DOWNWARDS, and the hand graspeth UPWARDS. There doth the heart become giddy through its double will.

The Wanderer

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

THIRD PART.

Then, when it was about midnight, Zarathustra went his way over the ridge of the isle.

He thought on the way of his many solitary wanderings from youth onwards, and how many mountains and ridges and summits he had already climbed.

The Vision and the Enigma

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

When it got abroad among the sailors that Zarathustra was on board the ship—for a man who came from the Happy Isles had gone on board along with him,—there was great curiosity and expectation.

But Zarathustra kept silent for two days, and was cold and deaf with sadness; so that he neither answered looks nor questions. On the evening of the second day, however, he again opened his ears, though he still kept silent: for there were many curious and dangerous things to be heard on board the ship, which came from afar, and was to go still further. Zarathustra, however, was fond of all those who make distant voyages, and dislike to live without danger.

INVOLUNTARY BLISS

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

With such enigmas and bitterness in his heart did Zarathustra sail o’er the sea.

He was 4 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:

The Olive Mountain

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Winter, a bad guest, sitteth with me at home; blue are my hands with his friendly hand-shaking.

I honour him, that bad guest, but gladly leave him alone. Gladly do I run away from him; and when one runneth WELL, then one escapeth him!

The Apostates

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ah, lieth everything already withered and grey which but lately stood green and many-hued on this meadow! And how much honey of hope did I carry hence into my beehives!

Those young hearts have already all become old—and not old even! only weary, ordinary, comfortable:—they declare it: “We have again become pious.”

The 3 Evil Things

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

In my dream, in my last morning-dream, I stood to-day on a promontory— beyond the world; I held a pair of scales, and WEIGHED the world.

Alas, that the rosy dawn came too early to me: she glowed me awake, the jealous one! Jealous is she always of the glows of my morning-dream.

The Spirit of Gravity

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

My mouthpiece—is of the people: too coarsely and cordially do I talk for Angora rabbits. And still stranger soundeth my word unto all ink-fish and pen-foxes.

My hand—is a fool’s hand: woe unto all tables and walls, and whatever hath room for fool’s sketching, fool’s scrawling!

OLD AND NEW TABLES

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Here do I sit and wait, old broken tables around me and also new half-written tables. When cometh mine hour?

—The hour of my descent, of my down-going: for once more will I go unto men.

The CONVALESCENT

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

One morning, not long after his return to his cave, Zarathustra sprang up from his couch like a madman, crying with a frightful voice, and acting as if some one still lay on the couch who did not wish to rise.

Zarathustra’s voice also resounded in such a manner that his animals came to him frightened, and out of all the neighbouring caves and lurking-places all the creatures slipped away—flying, fluttering, creeping or leaping, according to their variety of foot or wing.

THE SECOND DANCE-SONG

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

“Into thine eyes gazed I lately, O Life: gold saw I gleam in thy night-eyes,—my heart stood still with delight:

—A golden bark saw I gleam on darkened waters, a sinking, drinking, reblinking, golden swing-bark!

The Honey Sacrifice

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Years later, Zarathustra’s hair became white.

His animals saw him gazing and said to him:

“O Zarathustra, are you gazing for your happiness?

“Of what account is my happiness! I have long ceased to strive any more for happiness, I strive for my work.”

Talk with the Kings

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ere Zarathustra had been an hour on his way in the mountains and forests, he saw all at once a strange procession. Right on the path which he was about to descend came two kings walking, bedecked with crowns and purple girdles, and variegated like flamingoes: they drove before them a laden ass. “What do these kings want in my domain?” said Zarathustra in astonishment to his heart, and hid himself hastily behind a thicket. When however the kings approached to him, he said half-aloud, like one speaking only to himself:

“Strange! Strange! How doth this harmonise? Two kings do I see—and only one ass!”

THE MAGICIAN

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

When however Zarathustra had gone round a rock, then saw he on the same path, not far below him, a man who threw his limbs about like a maniac, and at last tumbled to the ground on his belly.

“Halt!” said then Zarathustra to his heart, “he there must surely be the higher man, from him came that dreadful cry of distress,—I will see if I can help him.” When, however, he ran to the spot where the man lay on the ground, he found a trembling old man, with fixed eyes; and in spite of all Zarathustra’s efforts to lift him and set him again on his feet, it was all in vain.

THE UGLIEST MAN

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Zarathustra ran through mountains and forests to look for the sorely distressed sufferer and crier.

On the whole way, however, he rejoiced in his heart and was full of gratitude. “What good things,” said he, “hath this day given me, as amends for its bad beginning! What strange interlocutors have I found!

THE SHADOW

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Scarcely however was the voluntary beggar gone in haste, and Zarathustra again alone, when he heard behind him a new voice which called out:

“Stay! Zarathustra! Do wait! It is myself, forsooth, O Zarathustra, myself, thy shadow!” But Zarathustra did not wait; for a sudden irritation came over him on account of the crowd and the crowding in his mountains. “Whither hath my lonesomeness gone?” spake he.

The Greeting

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

As Zarathustra was returning to his cave, he heard a great CRY OF DISTRESS.

He rushed into the cave and saw:

the king on the right
the king on the left
the old magician
the pope
the voluntary beggar
the shadow
the intellectually conscientious one
the sorrowful soothsayer
the ass
the ugliest man,
- He had a crown on his head to disguise himself and play the handsome person.
Zarathustra’s eagle
- It was ruffled and disquieted, for it had been called upon to answer too much for which its pride had not any answer;
the wise serpent however hung round its neck.

Zarathustra: “So it was YOUR cry of distress that I heard? I have sought for in vain to-day: THE HIGHER MAN—In mine own cave sitteth he, the higher man! But why do I wonder! Have not I myself allured him to me by honey-offerings and artful lure-calls of my happiness? But it seemeth to me that ye are badly adapted for company: ye make one another’s hearts fretful, ye that cry for help, when ye sit here together? There is one that must first come, One who will make you laugh once more, a good jovial buffoon, a dancer, a wind, a wild romp, some old fool:—what think ye? Forgive me, however, ye despairing ones, for speaking such trivial words before you, unworthy, verily, of such guests! But ye do not divine WHAT maketh my heart wanton:—

THE HIGHER MAN

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

When I came unto men for the first time, then did I commit the anchorite folly, the great folly: I appeared on the market-place.

When I spake unto all, I spake unto none. In the evening, however, rope-dancers were my companions, and corpses; and I myself almost a corpse.

THE SONG OF MELANCHOLY

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

When Zarathustra spake these sayings, he stood nigh to the entrance of his cave; with the last words, however, he slipped away from his guests, and fled for a little while into the open air.

“O pure odours around me,” cried he, “O blessed stillness around me! But where are mine animals? Hither, hither, mine eagle and my serpent!

AMONG DAUGHTERS OF THE DESERT

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

“Go not away!” said then the wanderer who called himself Zarathustra’s shadow, “abide with us—otherwise the old gloomy affliction might again fall upon us.

Now hath that old magician given us of his worst for our good, and lo! the good, pious pope there hath tears in his eyes, and hath quite embarked again upon the sea of melancholy.

The Ass Festival

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Chapter 78: THE ASS-FESTIVAL

At this place in the litany, however, Zarathustra could no longer control himself and so he screamed.

“Whatever are you about, ye grown-up children?” he exclaimed, pulling up the praying ones from the ground. “Alas, if any one else, except Zarathustra, had seen you:

The Drunken Song

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Meanwhile one after another had gone out into the open air, and into the cool night.

Zarathustra led the ugliest man by the hand to show him his night-world.

There they at last stood still beside one another; all of them old people, but with comforted, brave hearts, and astonished in themselves that it was so well with them on earth; the mystery of the night, however, came nigher and nigher to their hearts. And anew Zarathustra thought to himself: “Oh, how well do they now please me, these higher men!”—but he did not say it aloud, for he respected their happiness and their silence.—

Appendix

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

“Thus Spake Zarathustra” is Nietzsche’s opus magnum.

It was his deepest work ever offered to the German public.

His other writings are necessary to understand it.

Zarathustra then is Friedrich Nietzsche.