THUS SPOKE ZARATHUSTRA THE THREE METAMORPHOSES All these

THUS SPOKE ZARATHUSTRA

THE THREE METAMORPHOSES All these heaviest things the load-bearing spirit taketh upon itself: and like the camel, which, when laden, hasteneth into the wilderness, so hasteneth the spirit into its wilderness. But in the loneliest wilderness happeneth the second metamorphosis: here the spirit becometh a lion; freedom will it capture, and lordship in its own wilderness.

“Thou-shalt, ” is the great dragon called. But the spirit of the lion saith, “I will. ” Thou-shalt, ” lieth in its path, sparkling with gold—a scale-covered beast; and on every scale glittereth golden, “Thou shalt!” To create new values—that, even the lion cannot yet accomplish: but to create itself freedom for new creating— that can the might of the lion do. To create itself freedom, and give a holy Nay even unto duty: for that, my brethren, there is need of the lion.

But tell me, my brethren, what the child can do, which even the lion could not do? a new beginning, a game, a self-rolling wheel, a first movement, a holy Yea. Aye, for the game of creating, my brethren, there is needed a holy Yea unto life: its own will

PROLOGUE Like thee must I go down a child hath Zarathustra become wilt thou now carry thy fire into the valleys? Fearest thou not the incendiary’s doom? “I love mankind. ”

remain true to the earth, and believe not those who speak unto you of superearthly hopes Once the soul looked contemptuously on the body, and then that contempt was the supreme thing: —the soul wished the body meagre, ghastly, and famished. Thus it thought to escape from the body and the earth.

“We have discovered happiness”—say the last men, and blink thereby. They have their little pleasures for the day, and their little pleasures for the night, Behold the good and just! Whom do they hate most? Him who breaketh up their tables of values, the breaker, the lawbreaker: —he, however, is the creator.

Destroyers, will they be called, and despisers of good and evil. But they are the reapers and rejoicers

Joys and Passions “That is my good, that do I love, thus doth it please me entirely, thus only do I desire the good. Not as the law of a God do I desire it, not as a human law or a human need do I desire it; it is not to be a guidepost for me to super-earths and paradises. An earthly virtue is it which I love:

The Preachers of Death long for doctrines of lassitude and renunciation.

Voluntary Death otherwise your dying hath been unsatisfactory. Die at the right time: so teacheth Zarathustra. To be sure, he who never liveth at the right time, how could he ever die at the right time? But to the fighter equally hateful as to the victor, is your grinning death which stealeth nigh like a thief, —and yet cometh as master. He that hath a goal and an heir, wanteth death at the right time for the goal and the heir. It is cowardice that holdeth them fast to their branches. But I hear only slow death preached, and patience with all that is “earthly. ”

Self surpassing the Will to Power—the unexhausted, procreating life-will. Only where there is life, is there also will: not, however, Will to Life, but—so teach I thee—Will to Power! And this secret spake Life herself unto me. “Behold, ” said she, “I am that which must ever surpass itself. Verily, I say unto you: good and evil which would be everlasting—it doth not exist! Of its o ever surpass itself anew. And he who hath to be a creator in good and evil— verily, he hath first to be a destroyer, and break values in pieces. Thus doth the greatest evil pertain to the greatest good: that, however, is the creating good. —

The higher man In that ye have despaired, there is much to honour. For ye have not learned to submit yourselves, Surpass, ye higher men, the petty virtues, ye have not the petty learned petty policy, the sand-grain considerateness, the For to-day have the petty people become ant-hill trumpery, master: they the pitiable comfortableness, the all preach submission and humility and “happiness of the policy and diligence greatest number”—! and consideration and the long et cetera of petty virtues. And rather despair than submit yourselves. And verily, I love you, because ye know not to-day how to live, ye higher men! For thus do ye live—best!

DO NOT WILL anything beyond your power: there is a bad falseness in those who will beyond their power. For nothing is more precious to me, and rarer, than honesty. Laughing have I consecrated; ye higher men, learn, I pray you—to laugh! all good things laugh

The drunken song I am for the first time content to have lived mine entire life. ‘Was that—life? ’ will I say unto death. ‘Well! Once more!’