Teachers of Virtue

People commended unto Zarathustra a wise man, as one who could discourse well about sleep and virtue: greatly was he honoured and rewarded for it, and all the youths sat before his chair. To him went Zarathustra, and sat among the youths before his chair. And thus spake the wise man:

People recommended a wise man to Zarathustra who could speak well about sleep and virtue. He was greatly honored and rewarded for his teaching, and all the young men sat before his chair. Zarathustra went to him and sat among the young men before his chair. And the wise man said:

Respect and modesty in presence of sleep! That is the first thing! And to go out of the way of all who sleep badly and keep awake at night!

Show respect and modesty in the presence of sleep! That comes first! And stay away from all who sleep badly and stay awake at night!

Modest is even the thief in presence of sleep: he always stealeth softly through the night. Immodest, however, is the night-watchman; immodestly he carrieth his horn.

Even the thief is modest in the presence of sleep. He always steals softly through the night. But the night watchman is immodest. He carries his horn immodestly.

No small art is it to sleep: it is necessary for that purpose to keep awake all day.

Sleeping is no small art. To sleep, you must stay awake all day.

Ten times a day must thou overcome thyself: that causeth wholesome weariness, and is poppy to the soul.

You must overcome yourself ten times a day. This brings healthy weariness and is like a poppy for the soul.

Ten times must thou reconcile again with thyself; for overcoming is bitterness, and badly sleep the unreconciled.

Ten times you must make peace with yourself again. For overcoming is bitter, and those who are not at peace sleep badly.

Ten truths must thou find during the day; otherwise wilt thou seek truth during the night, and thy soul will have been hungry.

You must find ten truths during the day. Otherwise, you will seek truth at night, and your soul will have gone hungry.

Ten times must thou laugh during the day, and be cheerful; otherwise thy stomach, the father of affliction, will disturb thee in the night.

You must laugh ten times during the day and be cheerful. Otherwise, your stomach, the father of suffering, will disturb you at night.

Few people know it, but one must have all the virtues in order to sleep well. Shall I bear false witness? Shall I commit adultery?

Few people know this, but you need all the virtues to sleep well. Should I lie under oath? Should I commit adultery?

Shall I covet my neighbour’s maidservant? All that would ill accord with good sleep.

Should I desire my neighbor’s maid? All that would be bad for a good night’s sleep.

And even if one have all the virtues, there is still one thing needful: to send the virtues themselves to sleep at the right time.

And even if you have all the virtues, you still need one thing: to put the virtues themselves to sleep at the right time.

That they may not quarrel with one another, the good females! And about thee, thou unhappy one!

So that the good women may not quarrel with one another! And over you, you unhappy one!

Peace with God and thy neighbour: so desireth good sleep. And peace also with thy neighbour’s devil! Otherwise it will haunt thee in the night.

Be at peace with God and your neighbor. Good sleep requires it. And be at peace with your neighbor’s devil too! Otherwise, the devil will haunt you at night.

Honour to the government, and obedience, and also to the crooked government! So desireth good sleep. How can I help it, if power like to walk on crooked legs?

Honor and obey the government, even a crooked government! Good sleep demands it. How can I help it if power likes to walk on crooked legs?

He who leadeth his sheep to the greenest pasture, shall always be for me the best shepherd: so doth it accord with good sleep.

For me, the best shepherd will always be the one who leads his sheep to the greenest pasture. That is in keeping with good sleep.

Many honours I want not, nor great treasures: they excite the spleen. But it is bad sleeping without a good name and a little treasure.

I don't want many honors or great riches. They stir up resentment. But it's hard to sleep without a good name and a little money.

A small company is more welcome to me than a bad one: but they must come and go at the right time. So doth it accord with good sleep.

I prefer a small group to bad company, but they must come and go at the right time. That is how to sleep well.

Well, also, do the poor in spirit please me: they promote sleep. Blessed are they, especially if one always give in to them.

Well, I also like the poor in spirit. They help me sleep. Blessed are they, especially if you always give in to them.

Thus passeth the day unto the virtuous. When night cometh, then take I good care not to summon sleep. It disliketh to be summoned—sleep, the lord of the virtues!

This is how the day passes for the virtuous. When night comes, I take care not to summon sleep. Sleep, the lord of the virtues, dislikes being summoned!

But I think of what I have done and thought during the day. Thus ruminating, patient as a cow, I ask myself: What were thy ten overcomings?

But I think about what I have done and thought during the day. As I ponder, patient as a cow, I ask myself: What were my ten acts of overcoming?

And what were the ten reconciliations, and the ten truths, and the ten laughters with which my heart enjoyed itself?

And what were the ten reconciliations, the ten truths, and the ten laughs that delighted my heart?

Thus pondering, and cradled by forty thoughts, it overtaketh me all at once—sleep, the unsummoned, the lord of the virtues.

As I ponder, cradled by forty thoughts, sleep suddenly overtakes me. It comes uninvited, the lord of the virtues.

Sleep tappeth on mine eye, and it turneth heavy. Sleep toucheth my mouth, and it remaineth open.

Sleep taps my eye, and it grows heavy. Sleep touches my mouth, and it stays open.

Verily, on soft soles doth it come to me, the dearest of thieves, and stealeth from me my thoughts: stupid do I then stand, like this academic chair.

Truly, it comes to me on soft soles, the dearest of thieves, and steals my thoughts. Then I stand there, stupid as this academic chair.

But not much longer do I then stand: I already lie.—

But then I do not stand much longer. I am already lying down.

When Zarathustra heard the wise man thus speak, he laughed in his heart: for thereby had a light dawned upon him. And thus spake he to his heart:

When Zarathustra heard the wise man speak, he laughed inwardly, because a light had dawned on him. And he said to himself:

A fool seemeth this wise man with his forty thoughts: but I believe he knoweth well how to sleep.

This wise man seems like a fool with his forty thoughts. But I believe he knows well how to sleep.

Happy even is he who liveth near this wise man! Such sleep is contagious—even through a thick wall it is contagious.

Even someone who lives near this wise man is happy! Such sleep is contagious. It is contagious even through a thick wall.

A magic resideth even in his academic chair. And not in vain did the youths sit before the preacher of virtue.

There is magic even in his academic chair. And the young people did not sit before the preacher of virtue in vain.

His wisdom is to keep awake in order to sleep well. And verily, if life had no sense, and had I to choose nonsense, this would be the desirablest nonsense for me also.

His wisdom is to stay awake so that he can sleep well. And indeed, if life had no meaning and I had to choose nonsense, I too would choose this nonsense above all.

Now know I well what people sought formerly above all else when they sought teachers of virtue. Good sleep they sought for themselves, and poppy-head virtues to promote it!

Now I know well what people once sought above all else when they sought teachers of virtue. They wanted a good night’s sleep and poppy-head virtues to help them sleep!

To all those belauded sages of the academic chairs, wisdom was sleep without dreams: they knew no higher significance of life.

For all those celebrated academic sages, wisdom was dreamless sleep. They knew no higher meaning in life.

Even at present, to be sure, there are some like this preacher of virtue, and not always so honourable: but their time is past. And not much longer do they stand: there they already lie.

Even now, there are some like this preacher of virtue, and they are not always so honorable. But their time is past. They will not stand much longer. There they already lie.

Blessed are those drowsy ones: for they shall soon nod to sleep.—

Blessed are the drowsy, for they will soon fall asleep.

Thus spake Zarathustra.

This is what Zarathustra said.