The Essential Works of Friedrich Nietzsche. Friedrich Nietzsche

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СКАЧАТЬ he would say, "for thyself and those like thee, and whoever else require it! I—have no reason to cover my nakedness!" One suspects that this kind of divinity and philosopher perhaps lacks shame?—He once said: "Under certain circumstances I love mankind"—and referred thereby to Ariadne, who was present; "in my opinion man is an agreeable, brave, inventive animal, that has not his equal upon earth, he makes his way even through all labyrinths. I like man, and often think how I can still further advance him, and make him stronger, more evil, and more profound."—"Stronger, more evil, and more profound?" I asked in horror. "Yes," he said again, "stronger, more evil, and more profound; also more beautiful"—and thereby the tempter-god smiled with his halcyon smile, as though he had just paid some charming compliment. One here sees at once that it is not only shame that this divinity lacks;—and in general there are good grounds for supposing that in some things the Gods could all of them come to us men for instruction. We men are—more human.—

      296. Alas! what are you, after all, my written and painted thoughts! Not long ago you were so variegated, young and malicious, so full of thorns and secret spices, that you made me sneeze and laugh—and now? You have already doffed your novelty, and some of you, I fear, are ready to become truths, so immortal do they look, so pathetically honest, so tedious! And was it ever otherwise? What then do we write and paint, we mandarins with Chinese brush, we immortalisers of things which LEND themselves to writing, what are we alone capable of painting? Alas, only that which is just about to fade and begins to lose its odour! Alas, only exhausted and departing storms and belated yellow sentiments! Alas, only birds strayed and fatigued by flight, which now let themselves be captured with the hand—with OUR hand! We immortalize what cannot live and fly much longer, things only which are exhausted and mellow! And it is only for your AFTERNOON, you, my written and painted thoughts, for which alone I have colours, many colours, perhaps, many variegated softenings, and fifty yellows and browns and greens and reds;—but nobody will divine thereby how ye looked in your morning, you sudden sparks and marvels of my solitude, you, my old, beloved—EVIL thoughts!

      From the Heights

       Table of Contents

      By F W Nietzsche

      Translated by L. A. Magnus

      1.

       Midday of Life! Oh, season of delight!

       My summer's park!

       Uneaseful joy to look, to lurk, to hark—

       I peer for friends, am ready day and night,—

       Where linger ye, my friends? The time is right!

       2.

       Is not the glacier's grey to-day for you

       Rose-garlanded?

       The brooklet seeks you, wind, cloud, with longing thread

       And thrust themselves yet higher to the blue,

       To spy for you from farthest eagle's view.

       3.

       My table was spread out for you on high—

       Who dwelleth so

       Star-near, so near the grisly pit below?—

       My realm—what realm hath wider boundary?

       My honey—who hath sipped its fragrancy?

       4.

       Friends, ye are there! Woe me,—yet I am not

       He whom ye seek?

       Ye stare and stop—better your wrath could speak!

       I am not I? Hand, gait, face, changed? And what

       I am, to you my friends, now am I not?

       5.

       Am I an other? Strange am I to Me?

       Yet from Me sprung?

       A wrestler, by himself too oft self-wrung?

       Hindering too oft my own self's potency,

       Wounded and hampered by self-victory?

       6.

       I sought where-so the wind blows keenest. There

       I learned to dwell

       Where no man dwells, on lonesome ice-lorn fell,

       And unlearned Man and God and curse and prayer?

       Became a ghost haunting the glaciers bare?

       7.

       Ye, my old friends! Look! Ye turn pale, filled o'er

       With love and fear!

       Go! Yet not in wrath. Ye could ne'er live here.

       Here in the farthest realm of ice and scaur,

       A huntsman must one be, like chamois soar.

       8.

       An evil huntsman was I? See how taut

       My bow was bent!

       Strongest was he by whom such bolt were sent—

       Woe now! That arrow is with peril fraught,

       Perilous as none.—Have yon safe home ye sought!

       9.

       Ye go! Thou didst endure enough, oh, heart;—

       Strong was thy hope;

       Unto new friends thy portals widely ope,

       Let old ones be. Bid memory depart!

       Wast thou young then, now—better young thou art!

       10.

       What linked us once together, one hope's tie—

       (Who now doth con

       Those lines, now fading, Love once wrote thereon?)—

       Is like a parchment, which the hand is shy

       To touch—like crackling leaves, all seared, all dry.

       11.

       Oh! Friends no more! They are—what name for those?—

       Friends' phantom-flight

       Knocking at my heart's window-pane at night,

       Gazing on me, that speaks "We were" and goes,—

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