--- title: "Thus Spake Zarathustra" author: "Friedrich Nietzsche" translator: "Thomas Common" languages: [en] shelf: "Philosophy" section: 54 of 95 url: https://scriptura.si/works/nietzsche-zarathustra/54/ cite: "Friedrich Nietzsche, tr. Thomas Common, Thus Spake Zarathustra, section 54. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/nietzsche-zarathustra/54/" --- # Thus Spake Zarathustra *Friedrich Nietzsche, tr. Thomas Common* A prophet comes down from his mountain to teach the overman, in sermons and songs. ## 54. XLIX. The Bedwarfing Virtue · 2 of 2 Source: https://scriptura.si/works/nietzsche-zarathustra/54/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/nietzsche-zarathustra/54/#p-N ### 3 [¶1] I pass through this people and let fall many words: but they know neither how to take nor how to retain them. [¶2] They wonder why I came not to revile venery and vice; and verily, I came not to warn against pickpockets either! [¶3] 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! [¶4] And when I call out: “Curse all the cowardly devils in you, that would fain whimper and fold the hands and adore”—then do they shout: “Zarathustra is godless.” [¶5] And especially do their teachers of submission shout this;—but precisely in their ears do I love to cry: “Yea! I AM Zarathustra, the godless!” [¶6] Those teachers of submission! Wherever there is aught puny, or sickly, or scabby, there do they creep like lice; and only my disgust preventeth me from cracking them. [¶7] Well! This is my sermon for THEIR ears: I am Zarathustra the godless, who saith: “Who is more godless than I, that I may enjoy his teaching?” [¶8] I am Zarathustra the godless: where do I find mine equal? And all those are mine equals who give unto themselves their Will, and divest themselves of all submission. [¶9] I am Zarathustra the godless! I cook every chance in MY pot. And only when it hath been quite cooked do I welcome it as MY food. [¶10] And verily, many a chance came imperiously unto me: but still more imperiously did my WILL speak unto it,—then did it lie imploringly upon its knees— [¶11] —Imploring that it might find home and heart with me, and saying flatteringly: “See, O Zarathustra, how friend only cometh unto friend!”— [¶12] But why talk I, when no one hath MINE ears! And so will I shout it out unto all the winds: [¶13] Ye ever become smaller, ye small people! Ye crumble away, ye comfortable ones! Ye will yet perish— [¶14] —By your many small virtues, by your many small omissions, and by your many small submissions! [¶15] Too tender, too yielding: so is your soil! But for a tree to become GREAT, it seeketh to twine hard roots around hard rocks! [¶16] Also what ye omit weaveth at the web of all the human future; even your naught is a cobweb, and a spider that liveth on the blood of the future. [¶17] And when ye take, then is it like stealing, ye small virtuous ones; but even among knaves HONOUR saith that “one shall only steal when one cannot rob.” [¶18] “It giveth itself”—that is also a doctrine of submission. But I say unto you, ye comfortable ones, that IT TAKETH TO ITSELF, and will ever take more and more from you! [¶19] Ah, that ye would renounce all HALF-willing, and would decide for idleness as ye decide for action! [¶20] Ah, that ye understood my word: “Do ever what ye will—but first be such as CAN WILL. [¶21] Love ever your neighbour as yourselves—but first be such as LOVE THEMSELVES— [¶22] —Such as love with great love, such as love with great contempt!” Thus speaketh Zarathustra the godless.— [¶23] But why talk I, when no one hath MINE ears! It is still an hour too early for me here. [¶24] Mine own forerunner am I among this people, mine own cockcrow in dark lanes. [¶25] But THEIR hour cometh! And there cometh also mine! Hourly do they become smaller, poorer, unfruitfuller,—poor herbs! poor earth! [¶26] And SOON shall they stand before me like dry grass and prairie, and verily, weary of themselves—and panting for FIRE, more than for water! [¶27] O blessed hour of the lightning! O mystery before noontide!—Running fires will I one day make of them, and heralds with flaming tongues:— [¶28] —Herald shall they one day with flaming tongues: It cometh, it is nigh, THE GREAT NOONTIDE! [¶29] Thus spake Zarathustra.