The Three Transformations

Three metamorphoses of the spirit do I designate to you: how the spirit becometh a camel, the camel a lion, and the lion at last a child.

I will describe three transformations of the spirit: how the spirit becomes a camel, the camel a lion, and finally the lion a child.

Many heavy things are there for the spirit, the strong load-bearing spirit in which reverence dwelleth: for the heavy and the heaviest longeth its strength.

Many things weigh heavily on the spirit, the strong, load-bearing spirit filled with reverence. For its strength longs for heavy burdens, even the heaviest.

What is heavy? so asketh the load-bearing spirit; then kneeleth it down like the camel, and wanteth to be well laden.

“What is heavy?” asks the load-bearing spirit. Then it kneels like a camel, wanting to be heavily loaded.

What is the heaviest thing, ye heroes? asketh the load-bearing spirit, that I may take it upon me and rejoice in my strength.

“What is the heaviest thing, heroes?” asks the burden-bearing spirit. “Tell me so that I can take it upon myself and rejoice in my strength.”

Is it not this: To humiliate oneself in order to mortify one’s pride? To exhibit one’s folly in order to mock at one’s wisdom?

Is it not this: To humiliate yourself to wound your pride? To show your foolishness to mock your wisdom?

Or is it this: To desert our cause when it celebrateth its triumph? To ascend high mountains to tempt the tempter?

Or is it this: To abandon our cause when it celebrates its triumph? To climb high mountains to tempt the tempter?

Or is it this: To feed on the acorns and grass of knowledge, and for the sake of truth to suffer hunger of soul?

Or is it this: To feed on the acorns and grass of knowledge, and let your soul go hungry for truth?

Or is it this: To be sick and dismiss comforters, and make friends of the deaf, who never hear thy requests?

Or is it this: To be sick, turn away those who offer comfort, and befriend deaf people who never hear your requests?

Or is it this: To go into foul water when it is the water of truth, and not disclaim cold frogs and hot toads?

Or is it this: To enter foul water when it is the water of truth, and not reject cold frogs and hot toads?

Or is it this: To love those who despise us, and give one’s hand to the phantom when it is going to frighten us?

Or is it this: To love those who despise us, and offer a hand to the ghost when it is about to frighten us?

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.

The load-bearing spirit takes on all these heaviest burdens. Like a camel that hurries into the wilderness when loaded, the spirit hurries into its own 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.

But the second transformation happens in the loneliest wilderness. Here the spirit becomes a lion. It seeks to win freedom and mastery over its own wilderness.

Its last Lord it here seeketh: hostile will it be to him, and to its last God; for victory will it struggle with the great dragon.

Here it seeks its last Lord. It will be hostile to him and to its last God. It will struggle with the great dragon for victory.

What is the great dragon which the spirit is no longer inclined to call Lord and God? “Thou shalt,” is the great dragon called. But the spirit of the lion saith, “I will.”

What is the great dragon that the spirit no longer wants to call Lord and God? The great dragon is called “You shall.” But the lion’s spirit says, “I will.”

“Thou shalt,” lieth in its path, sparkling with gold—a scale-covered beast; and on every scale glittereth golden, “Thou shalt!”

“You shall” lies in its path, a beast covered in scales and sparkling with gold. On every scale, “You shall!” glitters in gold.

The values of a thousand years glitter on those scales, and thus speaketh the mightiest of all dragons: “All the values of things—glitter on me.

The values of a thousand years glitter on those scales. And so the mightiest of all dragons speaks: “All the values of things glitter on me.

All values have already been created, and all created values—do I represent. Verily, there shall be no ‘I will’ any more.” Thus speaketh the dragon.

All values have already been created, and I represent all created values. Truly, there shall be no more ‘I will’.” That is what the dragon says.

My brethren, wherefore is there need of the lion in the spirit? Why sufficeth not the beast of burden, which renounceth and is reverent?

My brothers, why does the spirit need a lion? Why isn't the beast of burden enough, with its self-denial and reverence?

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.

Even the lion cannot yet create new values. But the lion has the power to make itself free to create anew.

To create itself freedom, and give a holy Nay even unto duty: for that, my brethren, there is need of the lion.

My brothers, to create freedom for itself and say a sacred no even to duty, the lion is needed.

To assume the right to new values—that is the most formidable assumption for a load-bearing and reverent spirit. Verily, unto such a spirit it is preying, and the work of a beast of prey.

Claiming the right to create new values is the boldest claim a burden-bearing, reverent spirit can make. Truly, to such a spirit, claiming that right is an act of predation, the work of a beast of prey.

As its holiest, it once loved “Thou shalt”: now is it forced to find illusion and arbitrariness even in the holiest things, that it may capture freedom from its love: the lion is needed for this capture.

It once loved “You must” as the most sacred command. Now it must find illusion and arbitrariness even in the most sacred things, so it can free itself from that love. It needs the lion to win this freedom.

But tell me, my brethren, what the child can do, which even the lion could not do? Why hath the preying lion still to become a child?

But tell me, my brothers, what can the child do that even the lion could not? Why must the hunting lion still become a child?

Innocence is the child, and forgetfulness, a new beginning, a game, a self-rolling wheel, a first movement, a holy Yea.

The child is innocence and forgetfulness, a new beginning, a game, a wheel rolling on its own, a first movement, a sacred yes.

Aye, for the game of creating, my brethren, there is needed a holy Yea unto life: ITS OWN will, willeth now the spirit; HIS OWN world winneth the world’s outcast.

Yes, my brothers, the game of creation requires a holy yes to life. The spirit now follows ITS OWN will. The outcast from the world wins HIS OWN world.

Three metamorphoses of the spirit have I designated to you: how the spirit became a camel, the camel a lion, and the lion at last a child.—

I have described three transformations of the spirit to you: how the spirit became a camel, the camel a lion, and the lion finally a child.

Thus spake Zarathustra. And at that time he abode in the town which is called The Pied Cow.

Thus spoke Zarathustra. At that time, he lived in the town called The Pied Cow.