This is a dance over stock and stone: I am the hunter,- will you be my hound, or my chamois anon?
Now beside me! And quickly, wickedly springing! Now up! And over!- Alas! I have fallen myself overswinging!
Oh, see me lying, you arrogant one, and imploring grace! Gladly would I walk with you- in some lovelier place!
-In the paths of love, through bushes variegated, quiet, trim! Or there along the lake, where gold-fishes dance and swim!
You are now a-weary? There above are sheep and sun-set stripes: is it not sweet to sleep- the shepherd pipes?
You are so very weary? I carry you there; let just your arm sink! And are you thirsty- I should have something; but your mouth would not like it to drink!-
-Oh, that cursed, nimble, supple serpent and lurking-witch! Where are you gone? But in my face do I feel through your hand, two spots and red blotches itch!
I am verily weary of it, ever your sheepish shepherd to be. You witch, if I have hitherto sung to you, now shall you- cry to me!
To the rhythm of my whip shall you dance and cry! I forget not my whip?- Not I!»-
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2.
Then did Life answer me thus, and kept thereby her fine ears closed:
«O Zarathustra! Crack not so terribly with your whip! You know surely that noise kills thought,- and just now there came to me such del-icate thoughts.
We are both of us genuine ne’er-do-wells and ne’er-do-ills. Beyond good and evil found we our island and our green meadow- we two alone! Therefore must we be friendly to each other!
And even should we not love each other from the bottom of our hearts,- must we then have a grudge against each other if we do not love each other perfectly?
And that I am friendly to you, and often too friendly, that know you: and the reason is that I am envious of your Wisdom. Ah, this mad old fool, Wisdom!
If your Wisdom should one day run away from you, ah! then would also my love run away from you quickly.»-
Then did Life look thoughtfully behind and around, and said softly: «O Zarathustra, you are not faithful enough to me!
You love me not nearly so much as you say; I know you think of soon leaving me.
There is an old heavy, heavy, booming-clock: it booms by night up to your cave:-
-When you hear this clock strike the hours at midnight, then think you between one and twelve thereon-
-You think thereon, O Zarathustra, I know it- of soon leaving me!»-«Yes,» answered I, hesitatingly, «but you know it also»- And I said
something into her ear, in amongst her confused, yellow, foolish tresses. «You know that, O Zarathustra? That knows 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 to me than all my Wisdom had ever been.-
Thus spoke Zarathustra.
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3.
One!
O man! Take heed! Two!
What says 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 says: Hence! Go! Ten!
«But joys all want eternity-Eleven!
«Want deep profound eternity!» Twelve!
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Chapter 16 The Seven Seals
1.
IF I be a diviner and full of the divining spirit which wanders on high mountain-ridges, ‘twixt two seas,-
Wanders ‘twixt the past and the future as a heavy cloud- hostile to sul-try 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 Yes! which laugh Yes! 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 chil-dren, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love you, O Eternity!
For I love you, O Eternity!
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2.
If ever my wrath has burst graves, shifted landmarks, or rolled old shattered law-tablets into precipitous depths:
If ever my scorn has 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 looks 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 chil-dren, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love you, O Eternity!
For I love you, O Eternity!
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3.
If ever a breath has come to me of the creative breath, and of the heav-enly necessity which compels 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 follows, grumbling, but obedient:
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 active 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 chil-dren, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love you, O Eternity!
For I love you, O Eternity!
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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 has mingled the furthest with the nearest, fire with spirit, joy with sorrow, and the harshest with the kindest:
If I myself am a grain of the saving salt which makes everything in the confection-bowl mix well:-
-For there is a salt which unites good with evil; and even the evilest is worthy, as spicing and as final over-foaming:-
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 chil-dren, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love you, O Eternity!
For I love you, O Eternity!
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5.
If I be fond of the sea, and all that is of the sea, and fondest of it when it angrily contradicts me:
If the exploring delight be in me, which impels sails to the undis-covered, if the seafarer’s delight be in my delight:
If ever my rejoicing has called out: «The shore has vanished,- now has fallen from me the last chain-
The boundless roars around me, far away sparkle for me space and time,- well! cheer up! old heart!»-
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 chil-dren, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love you, O Eternity!
For I love you, O Eternity!
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6.
If my virtue be a dancer’s virtue, and if I have often sprung with both feet into golden-emerald rapture:
If my wickedness be a laughing wickedness, at home among rose-banks and hedges of lilies:
-or in laughter is all evil present, but it is sanctified and absolved by its own bliss:-
And if it be my Alpha and Omega that everything heavy shall become light, everybody a dancer, and every spirit a bird: and verily, that is my Alpha and Omega!-
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 chil-dren, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love you, O Eternity!
For I love you, O Eternity!
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7.
If ever I have spread out a tranquil heaven above me, and have flown in-to my own heaven with my own pinions:
If I have swum playfully in profound luminous distances, and if my freedom’s avian wisdom has come to me:-
-Thus however speaks avian wisdom:- «Lo, there is no above and no below! Throw yourself about,- outward, backward, you light one! Sing! speak no more!
-Are not all words made for the heavy? Do not all words lie to the light ones? Sing! speak no more!»-
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 chil-dren, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love you, O Eternity!
For I love you, O Eternity!
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Part 5 Book 4
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Chapter 1
The Honey
