Thus Spake Zarathustra - Penn State University

Friedrich Nietzsche—What hath befallen me: Hark! Hath time flown away? become perfect? Oh, for the golden round ball!—Do I not fall? Have I not fallen—hark! into the well of “Get up,” said Zarathustra, “thou little thief, thou sluggard!What! Still stretching thyself, yawning, sighing,eternity?—What happeneth to me? Hush! It stingeth me—alas— failing into deep wells?to the heart? To the heart! Oh, break up, break up, my Who art thou then, O my soul!” (and here he becameheart, after such happiness, after such a sting!frightened, for a sunbeam shot down from heaven upon—What? Hath not the world just now become perfect? his face.)Round and ripe? Oh, for the golden round ring—whither “O heaven above me,” said he sighing, and sat upright,doth it fly? Let me run after it! Quick!“thou gazest at me? Thou hearkenest unto my strangeHush—” (and here Zarathustra stretched himself, and soul?felt that he was asleep.)When wilt thou drink this drop of dew that fell down“Up!” said he to himself, “thou sleeper! Thou noontide upon all earthly things,—when wilt thou drink this strangesleeper! Well then, up, ye old legs! It is time and more soul—than time; many a good stretch of road is still awaiting —When, thou well of eternity! thou joyous, awful, noontideabyss! when wilt thou drink my soul back into thee?”you—Now have ye slept your fill; for how long a time? A Thus spake Zarathustra, and rose from his couch besidehalf-eternity! Well then, up now, mine old heart! For how the tree, as if awakening from a strange drunkenness: andlong after such a sleep mayest thou —remain awake?” behold! there stood the sun still exactly above his head.(But then did he fall asleep anew, and his soul spake One might, however, rightly infer therefrom thatagainst him and defended itself, and lay down again)— Zarathustra had not then slept long.”Leave me alone! Hush! Hath not the world just now249