Thus Spake Zarathustra — Friedrich Nietzsche

Thus Spake Zarathustra

Friedrich Nietzsche · Άδεια: Public domain · Πηγή

• Oh, when shall I arrive again at my home, where I shall no longer have to stoop--shall no longer have to stoop BEFORE THE SMALL ONES!"--And Zarathustra sighed, and gazed into the distance.-- ¶2094
• The same day, however, he gave his discourse on the bedwarfing virtue. ¶2095
• I pass through this people and keep mine eyes open: they do not forgive me for not envying their virtues. ¶2097
• They bite at me, because I say unto them that for small people, small virtues are necessary--and because it is hard for me to understand that small people are NECESSARY! ¶2098
• Here am I still like a cock in a strange farm-yard, at which even the hens peck: but on that account I am not unfriendly to the hens. ¶2099
• I am courteous towards them, as towards all small annoyances; to be prickly towards what is small, seemeth to me wisdom for hedgehogs. ¶2100
• They all speak of me when they sit around their fire in the evening--they speak of me, but no one thinketh--of me! ¶2101
• This is the new stillness which I have experienced: their noise around me spreadeth a mantle over my thoughts. ¶2102
• They shout to one another: "What is this gloomy cloud about to do to us? Let us see that it doth not bring a plague upon us!" ¶2103
• And recently did a woman seize upon her child that was coming unto me: "Take the children away," cried she, "such eyes scorch children's souls." ¶2104
• They cough when I speak: they think coughing an objection to strong winds--they divine nothing of the boisterousness of my happiness! ¶2105
• "We have not yet time for Zarathustra"--so they object; but what matter about a time that "hath no time" for Zarathustra? ¶2106
• And if they should altogether praise me, how could I go to sleep on THEIR praise? A girdle of spines is their praise unto me: it scratcheth me even when I take it off. ¶2107
• And this also did I learn among them: the praiser doeth as if he gave back; in truth, however, he wanteth more to be given him! ¶2108
• Ask my foot if their lauding and luring strains please it! Verily, to such measure and ticktack, it liketh neither to dance nor to stand still. ¶2109
• To small virtues would they fain lure and laud me; to the ticktack of small happiness would they fain persuade my foot. ¶2110
• I pass through this people and keep mine eyes open; they have become SMALLER, and ever become smaller:--THE REASON THEREOF IS THEIR DOCTRINE OF HAPPINESS AND VIRTUE. ¶2111
• For they are moderate also in virtue,--because they want comfort. With comfort, however, moderate virtue only is compatible. ¶2112
• To be sure, they also learn in their way to stride on and stride forward: that, I call their HOBBLING.--Thereby they become a hindrance to all who are in haste. ¶2113
• And many of them go forward, and look backwards thereby, with stiffened necks: those do I like to run up against. ¶2114
• Foot and eye shall not lie, nor give the lie to each other. But there is much lying among small people. ¶2115
• Some of them WILL, but most of them are WILLED. Some of them are genuine, but most of them are bad actors. ¶2116
• There are actors without knowing it amongst them, and actors without intending it--, the genuine ones are always rare, especially the genuine actors. ¶2117
• Of man there is little here: therefore do their women masculinise themselves. For only he who is man enough, will--SAVE THE WOMAN in woman. ¶2118
• And this hypocrisy found I worst amongst them, that even those who command feign the virtues of those who serve. ¶2119
• "I serve, thou servest, we serve"--so chanteth here even the hypocrisy of the rulers--and alas! if the first lord be ONLY the first servant! ¶2120
• Ah, even upon their hypocrisy did mine eyes' curiosity alight; and well did I divine all their fly-happiness, and their buzzing around sunny window-panes. ¶2121
• So much kindness, so much weakness do I see. So much justice and pity, so much weakness. ¶2122
• Round, fair, and considerate are they to one another, as grains of sand are round, fair, and considerate to grains of sand. ¶2123
• Modestly to embrace a small happiness--that do they call "submission"! and at the same time they peer modestly after a new small happiness. ¶2124
• In their hearts they want simply one thing most of all: that no one hurt them. Thus do they anticipate every one's wishes and do well unto every one. ¶2125
• That, however, is COWARDICE, though it be called "virtue."-- ¶2126
• And when they chance to speak harshly, those small people, then do _I_ hear therein only their hoarseness--every draught of air maketh them hoarse. ¶2127
• Shrewd indeed are they, their virtues have shrewd fingers. But they lack fists: their fingers do not know how to creep behind fists. ¶2128
• Virtue for them is what maketh modest and tame: therewith have they made the wolf a dog, and man himself man's best domestic animal. ¶2129
• "We set our chair in the MIDST"--so saith their smirking unto me--"and as far from dying gladiators as from satisfied swine." ¶2130
• That, however, is--MEDIOCRITY, though it be called moderation.-- ¶2131
• I pass through this people and let fall many words: but they know neither how to take nor how to retain them. ¶2133
• They wonder why I came not to revile venery and vice; and verily, I came not to warn against pickpockets either! ¶2134
• They wonder why I am not ready to abet and whet their wisdom: as if they had not yet enough of wiseacres, whose voices grate on mine ear like slate-pencils! ¶2135

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