Thus Spake Zarathustra [96]
of soon leaving me.
There is an old heavy, heavy, booming-clock: it boometh by night up to thy cave:--
--When thou hearest this clock strike the hours at midnight, then thinkest thou between one and twelve thereon--
--Thou thinkest thereon, O Zarathustra, I know it--of soon leaving me!"--
"Yea," answered I, hesitatingly, "but thou knowest it also"--And I said something into her ear, in amongst her confused, yellow, foolish tresses.
"Thou KNOWEST that, O Zarathustra? That knoweth no one--"
And we gazed at each other, and looked at the green meadow o'er which the cool evening was just passing, and we wept together.--Then, however, was Life dearer unto me than all my Wisdom had ever been.--
Thus spake Zarathustra.
3.
One!
O man! Take heed!
Two!
What saith deep midnight's voice indeed?
Three!
"I slept my sleep--
Four!
"From deepest dream I've woke and plead:--
Five!
"The world is deep,
Six!
"And deeper than the day could read.
Seven!
"Deep is its woe--
Eight!
"Joy--deeper still than grief can be:
Nine!
"Woe saith: Hence! Go!
Ten!
"But joys all want eternity--
Eleven!
"Want deep profound eternity!"
Twelve!
LX. THE SEVEN SEALS.
(OR THE YEA AND AMEN LAY.)
1.
If I be a diviner and full of the divining spirit which wandereth on high mountain-ridges, 'twixt two seas,--
Wandereth 'twixt the past and the future as a heavy cloud--hostile to sultry plains, and to all that is weary and can neither die nor live:
Ready for lightning in its dark bosom, and for the redeeming flash of light, charged with lightnings which say Yea! which laugh Yea! ready for divining flashes of lightning:--
--Blessed, however, is he who is thus charged! And verily, long must he hang like a heavy tempest on the mountain, who shall one day kindle the light of the future!--
Oh, how could I not be ardent for Eternity and for the marriage-ring of rings--the ring of the return?
Never yet have I found the woman by whom I should like to have children, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love thee, O Eternity!
FOR I LOVE THEE, O ETERNITY!
2.
If ever my wrath hath burst graves, shifted landmarks, or rolled old shattered tables into precipitous depths:
If ever my scorn hath scattered mouldered words to the winds, and if I have come like a besom to cross-spiders, and as a cleansing wind to old charnel- houses:
If ever I have sat rejoicing where old Gods lie buried, world-blessing, world-loving, beside the monuments of old world-maligners:--
--For even churches and Gods'-graves do I love, if only heaven looketh through their ruined roofs with pure eyes; gladly do I sit like grass and red poppies on ruined churches--
Oh, how could I not be ardent for Eternity, and for the marriage-ring of rings--the ring of the return?
Never yet have I found the woman by whom I should like to have children, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love thee, O Eternity!
FOR I LOVE THEE, O ETERNITY!
3.
If ever a breath hath come to me of the creative breath, and of the heavenly necessity which compelleth even chances to dance star-dances:
If ever I have laughed with the laughter of the creative lightning, to which the long thunder of the deed followeth, grumblingly, but obediently:
If ever I have played dice with the Gods at the divine table of the earth, so that the earth quaked and ruptured, and snorted forth fire-streams:--
--For a divine table is the earth, and trembling with new creative dictums and dice-casts of the Gods:
Oh, how could I not be ardent for Eternity, and for the marriage-ring of rings--the ring of the return?
Never yet have I found the woman by whom I should like to have children, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love thee, O Eternity!
FOR I LOVE THEE, O ETERNITY!
4.
If ever I have drunk a full draught of the foaming spice- and confection- bowl in which all things are well mixed:
If ever my hand hath mingled the furthest with the nearest, fire with spirit, joy with
There is an old heavy, heavy, booming-clock: it boometh by night up to thy cave:--
--When thou hearest this clock strike the hours at midnight, then thinkest thou between one and twelve thereon--
--Thou thinkest thereon, O Zarathustra, I know it--of soon leaving me!"--
"Yea," answered I, hesitatingly, "but thou knowest it also"--And I said something into her ear, in amongst her confused, yellow, foolish tresses.
"Thou KNOWEST that, O Zarathustra? That knoweth no one--"
And we gazed at each other, and looked at the green meadow o'er which the cool evening was just passing, and we wept together.--Then, however, was Life dearer unto me than all my Wisdom had ever been.--
Thus spake Zarathustra.
3.
One!
O man! Take heed!
Two!
What saith deep midnight's voice indeed?
Three!
"I slept my sleep--
Four!
"From deepest dream I've woke and plead:--
Five!
"The world is deep,
Six!
"And deeper than the day could read.
Seven!
"Deep is its woe--
Eight!
"Joy--deeper still than grief can be:
Nine!
"Woe saith: Hence! Go!
Ten!
"But joys all want eternity--
Eleven!
"Want deep profound eternity!"
Twelve!
LX. THE SEVEN SEALS.
(OR THE YEA AND AMEN LAY.)
1.
If I be a diviner and full of the divining spirit which wandereth on high mountain-ridges, 'twixt two seas,--
Wandereth 'twixt the past and the future as a heavy cloud--hostile to sultry plains, and to all that is weary and can neither die nor live:
Ready for lightning in its dark bosom, and for the redeeming flash of light, charged with lightnings which say Yea! which laugh Yea! ready for divining flashes of lightning:--
--Blessed, however, is he who is thus charged! And verily, long must he hang like a heavy tempest on the mountain, who shall one day kindle the light of the future!--
Oh, how could I not be ardent for Eternity and for the marriage-ring of rings--the ring of the return?
Never yet have I found the woman by whom I should like to have children, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love thee, O Eternity!
FOR I LOVE THEE, O ETERNITY!
2.
If ever my wrath hath burst graves, shifted landmarks, or rolled old shattered tables into precipitous depths:
If ever my scorn hath scattered mouldered words to the winds, and if I have come like a besom to cross-spiders, and as a cleansing wind to old charnel- houses:
If ever I have sat rejoicing where old Gods lie buried, world-blessing, world-loving, beside the monuments of old world-maligners:--
--For even churches and Gods'-graves do I love, if only heaven looketh through their ruined roofs with pure eyes; gladly do I sit like grass and red poppies on ruined churches--
Oh, how could I not be ardent for Eternity, and for the marriage-ring of rings--the ring of the return?
Never yet have I found the woman by whom I should like to have children, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love thee, O Eternity!
FOR I LOVE THEE, O ETERNITY!
3.
If ever a breath hath come to me of the creative breath, and of the heavenly necessity which compelleth even chances to dance star-dances:
If ever I have laughed with the laughter of the creative lightning, to which the long thunder of the deed followeth, grumblingly, but obediently:
If ever I have played dice with the Gods at the divine table of the earth, so that the earth quaked and ruptured, and snorted forth fire-streams:--
--For a divine table is the earth, and trembling with new creative dictums and dice-casts of the Gods:
Oh, how could I not be ardent for Eternity, and for the marriage-ring of rings--the ring of the return?
Never yet have I found the woman by whom I should like to have children, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love thee, O Eternity!
FOR I LOVE THEE, O ETERNITY!
4.
If ever I have drunk a full draught of the foaming spice- and confection- bowl in which all things are well mixed:
If ever my hand hath mingled the furthest with the nearest, fire with spirit, joy with