Thus Spake Zarathustra - Penn State University

Thus Spake Zarathustradancing; Zarathustra, however, approached them with and I myself will sing a song to his dance:friendly mein and spake these words:A dance-song and satire on the spirit of gravity myCease not your dancing, ye lovely maidens! No gamespoilerhath come to you with evil eye, no enemy of maid-the world.”—supremest, powerfulest devil, who is said to be “lord ofens.And this is the song that Zarathustra sang when CupidGod’s advocate am I with the devil: he, however, is the and the maidens danced together:spirit of gravity. How could I, ye light-footed ones, be Of late did I gaze into thine eye, O Life! And into thehostile to divine dances? Or to maidens’ feet with fine unfathomable did I there seem to sink.ankles?But thou pulledst me out with a golden angle; derisivelydidst thou laugh when I called thee unfathomable.To be sure, I am a forest, and a night of dark trees: buthe who is not afraid of my darkness, will find banks full “Such is the language of all fish,” saidst thou; “whatof roses under my cypresses.THEY do not fathom is unfathomable.And even the little God may he find, who is dearest to But changeable am I only, and wild, and altogether amaidens: beside the well lieth he quietly, with closed woman, and no virtuous one:eyes.Though I be called by you men the ‘profound one,’ orVerily, in broad daylight did he fall asleep, the sluggard!Had he perhaps chased butterflies too much? But ye men endow us always with your own virtues—the ‘faithful one,’ ‘the eternal one,’ ‘the mysterious one.’Upbraid me not, ye beautiful dancers, when I chasten alas, ye virtuous ones!”the little God somewhat! He will cry, certainly, and weep— Thus did she laugh, the unbelievable one; but never dobut he is laughable even when weeping!I believe her and her laughter, when she speaketh evil ofAnd with tears in his eyes shall he ask you for a dance; herself.104