--- title: "Thus Spake Zarathustra" author: "Friedrich Nietzsche" translator: "Thomas Common" languages: [en] shelf: "Philosophy" section: 64 of 95 url: https://scriptura.si/works/nietzsche-zarathustra/64/ cite: "Friedrich Nietzsche, tr. Thomas Common, Thus Spake Zarathustra, section 64. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/nietzsche-zarathustra/64/" --- # Thus Spake Zarathustra *Friedrich Nietzsche, tr. Thomas Common* A prophet comes down from his mountain to teach the overman, in sermons and songs. ## 64. LVI. Old and New Tables · 4 of 6 Source: https://scriptura.si/works/nietzsche-zarathustra/64/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/nietzsche-zarathustra/64/#p-N [¶0] O my brethren, a fresh blustering wind cometh Zarathustra unto all way-weary ones; many noses will he yet make sneeze! [¶1] Even through walls bloweth my free breath, and in into prisons and imprisoned spirits! [¶2] Willing emancipateth: for willing is creating: so do I teach. And ONLY for creating shall ye learn! [¶3] And also the learning shall ye LEARN only from me, the learning well!—He who hath ears let him hear! ### 17 [¶5] There standeth the boat—thither goeth it over, perhaps into vast nothingness—but who willeth to enter into this “Perhaps”? [¶6] None of you want to enter into the death-boat! How should ye then be WORLD-WEARY ones! [¶7] World-weary ones! And have not even withdrawn from the earth! Eager did I ever find you for the earth, amorous still of your own earth-weariness! [¶8] Not in vain doth your lip hang down:—a small worldly wish still sitteth thereon! And in your eye—floateth there not a cloudlet of unforgotten earthly bliss? [¶9] There are on the earth many good inventions, some useful, some pleasant: for their sake is the earth to be loved. [¶10] And many such good inventions are there, that they are like woman’s breasts: useful at the same time, and pleasant. [¶11] Ye world-weary ones, however! Ye earth-idlers! You, shall one beat with stripes! With stripes shall one again make you sprightly limbs. [¶12] For if ye be not invalids, or decrepit creatures, of whom the earth is weary, then are ye sly sloths, or dainty, sneaking pleasure-cats. And if ye will not again RUN gaily, then shall ye—pass away! [¶13] To the incurable shall one not seek to be a physician: thus teacheth Zarathustra:—so shall ye pass away! [¶14] But more COURAGE is needed to make an end than to make a new verse: that do all physicians and poets know well.— ### 18 [¶16] O my brethren, there are tables which weariness framed, and tables which slothfulness framed, corrupt slothfulness: although they speak similarly, they want to be heard differently.— [¶17] See this languishing one! Only a span-breadth is he from his goal; but from weariness hath he lain down obstinately in the dust, this brave one! [¶18] From weariness yawneth he at the path, at the earth, at the goal, and at himself: not a step further will he go,—this brave one! [¶19] Now gloweth the sun upon him, and the dogs lick at his sweat: but he lieth there in his obstinacy and preferreth to languish:— [¶20] —A span-breadth from his goal, to languish! Verily, ye will have to drag him into his heaven by the hair of his head—this hero! [¶21] Better still that ye let him lie where he hath lain down, that sleep may come unto him, the comforter, with cooling patter-rain. [¶22] Let him lie, until of his own accord he awakeneth,—until of his own accord he repudiateth all weariness, and what weariness hath taught through him! [¶23] Only, my brethren, see that ye scare the dogs away from him, the idle skulkers, and all the swarming vermin:— [¶24] —All the swarming vermin of the “cultured,” that—feast on the sweat of every hero!— ### 19 [¶26] I form circles around me and holy boundaries; ever fewer ascend with me ever higher mountains: I build a mountain-range out of ever holier mountains.— [¶27] But wherever ye would ascend with me, O my brethren, take care lest a PARASITE ascend with you! [¶28] A parasite: that is a reptile, a creeping, cringing reptile, that trieth to fatten on your infirm and sore places. [¶29] And THIS is its art: it divineth where ascending souls are weary, in your trouble and dejection, in your sensitive modesty, doth it build its loathsome nest. [¶30] Where the strong are weak, where the noble are all-too-gentle—there buildeth it its loathsome nest; the parasite liveth where the great have small sore places. [¶31] What is the highest of all species of being, and what is the lowest? The parasite is the lowest species; he, however, who is of the highest species feedeth most parasites. [¶32] For the soul which hath the longest ladder, and can go deepest down: how could there fail to be most parasites upon it?— [¶33] —The most comprehensive soul, which can run and stray and rove furthest in itself; the most necessary soul, which out of joy flingeth itself into chance:— [¶34] —The soul in Being, which plungeth into Becoming; the possessing soul, which SEEKETH to attain desire and longing:— [¶35] —The soul fleeing from itself, which overtaketh itself in the widest circuit; the wisest soul, unto which folly speaketh most sweetly:— [¶36] —The soul most self-loving, in which all things have their current and counter-current, their ebb and their flow:—oh, how could THE LOFTIEST SOUL fail to have the worst parasites? ### 20 [¶38] O my brethren, am I then cruel? But I say: What falleth, that shall one also push! [¶39] Everything of to-day—it falleth, it decayeth; who would preserve it! But I—I wish also to push it! [¶40] Know ye the delight which rolleth stones into precipitous depths?—Those men of to-day, see just how they roll into my depths! [¶41] A prelude am I to better players, O my brethren! An example! DO according to mine example! [¶42] And him whom ye do not teach to fly, teach I pray you—TO FALL FASTER!— ### 21 [¶44] I love the brave: but it is not enough to be a swordsman,—one must also know WHEREON to use swordsmanship!