The Awakening

After the song of the wanderer and shadow, the cave became all at once full of noise and laughter: and since the assembled guests all spake simultaneously, and even the ass, encouraged thereby, no longer remained silent, a little aversion and scorn for his visitors came over Zarathustra, although he rejoiced at their gladness. For it seemed to him a sign of convalescence. So he slipped out into the open air and spake to his animals.

After the wanderer and shadow finished their song, the cave suddenly filled with noise and laughter. All the guests spoke at once, and even the donkey, encouraged by the noise, joined in. Because of this, Zarathustra felt some distaste and scorn for his visitors, although their happiness pleased him. He saw it as a sign that they were recovering. So he slipped outside into the fresh air and spoke to his animals.

“Whither hath their distress now gone?” said he, and already did he himself feel relieved of his petty disgust—“with me, it seemeth that they have unlearned their cries of distress!

“Where has their distress gone now?” he said. Already, he felt relieved of his petty disgust. “With me, it seems they have unlearned their cries of distress!

—Though, alas! not yet their crying.” And Zarathustra stopped his ears, for just then did the YE-A of the ass mix strangely with the noisy jubilation of those higher men.

Though, sadly, not yet their crying.” Zarathustra covered his ears, because just then the ass’s YE-A mingled strangely with the noisy celebration of those higher men.

“They are merry,” he began again, “and who knoweth? perhaps at their host’s expense; and if they have learned of me to laugh, still it is not MY laughter they have learned.

“They are cheerful,” he began again. “And who knows? Perhaps they are laughing at their host’s expense. And if they have learned to laugh from me, they still have not learned MY laughter.

But what matter about that! They are old people: they recover in their own way, they laugh in their own way; mine ears have already endured worse and have not become peevish.

But what does that matter? They are old people. They recover in their own way and laugh in their own way. My ears have heard worse and have not grown irritable.

This day is a victory: he already yieldeth, he fleeth, THE SPIRIT OF GRAVITY, mine old arch-enemy! How well this day is about to end, which began so badly and gloomily!

Today is a victory: my old archenemy, THE SPIRIT OF GRAVITY, is already giving way and fleeing! This day began so badly and gloomily, but how well it is about to end!

And it is ABOUT TO end. Already cometh the evening: over the sea rideth it hither, the good rider! How it bobbeth, the blessed one, the home-returning one, in its purple saddles!

And it is ABOUT TO end. Evening is already coming. The good rider is riding here over the sea! How the blessed, homecoming rider bobs in its purple saddles!

The sky gazeth brightly thereon, the world lieth deep. Oh, all ye strange ones who have come to me, it is already worth while to have lived with me!”

The sky shines brightly on it, and the world lies deep. Oh, all you strange ones who have come to me, living with me has already been worthwhile!”

Thus spake Zarathustra. And again came the cries and laughter of the higher men out of the cave: then began he anew:

Thus spoke Zarathustra. Again, the cries and laughter of the higher men came from the cave. Then he began again:

“They bite at it, my bait taketh, there departeth also from them their enemy, the spirit of gravity. Now do they learn to laugh at themselves: do I hear rightly?

“They bite at it. My bait works. Their enemy, the spirit of gravity, also leaves them. Now they are learning to laugh at themselves. Am I hearing that right?

My virile food taketh effect, my strong and savoury sayings: and verily, I did not nourish them with flatulent vegetables! But with warrior-food, with conqueror-food: new desires did I awaken.

My manly food is taking effect: my strong and savory sayings. And truly, I did not feed them gas-producing vegetables! I fed them warrior food, conqueror food. I awakened new desires.

New hopes are in their arms and legs, their hearts expand. They find new words, soon will their spirits breathe wantonness.

New hopes fill their arms and legs, and their hearts swell. They find new words. Soon their spirits will breathe freely and playfully.

Such food may sure enough not be proper for children, nor even for longing girls old and young. One persuadeth their bowels otherwise; I am not their physician and teacher.

Such food may not be suitable for children, or even for yearning girls, young or old. Their stomachs can be persuaded otherwise. I am not their doctor or teacher.

The DISGUST departeth from these higher men; well! that is my victory. In my domain they become assured; all stupid shame fleeth away; they empty themselves.

The DISGUST is leaving these higher men. Good! That is my victory. In my domain, they gain confidence. All foolish shame disappears. They empty themselves.

They empty their hearts, good times return unto them, they keep holiday and ruminate,—they become THANKFUL.

They empty their hearts, and good times return to them. They take a holiday and reflect. They become THANKFUL.

THAT do I take as the best sign: they become thankful. Not long will it be ere they devise festivals, and put up memorials to their old joys.

I take this as the best sign: they become thankful. Soon they will create festivals and build memorials to their past joys.

They are CONVALESCENTS!” Thus spake Zarathustra joyfully to his heart and gazed outward; his animals, however, pressed up to him, and honoured his happiness and his silence.

They are RECOVERING!” Zarathustra said joyfully to himself and looked outward. But his animals pressed close to him, honoring his happiness and his silence.

All on a sudden however, Zarathustra’s ear was frightened: for the cave which had hitherto been full of noise and laughter, became all at once still as death;—his nose, however, smelt a sweet-scented vapour and incense-odour, as if from burning pine-cones.

Suddenly, however, Zarathustra was startled by a sound. The cave, which had been full of noise and laughter, suddenly fell silent as death. But he smelled a sweet vapor and the scent of incense, as if pine cones were burning.

“What happeneth? What are they about?” he asked himself, and stole up to the entrance, that he might be able unobserved to see his guests. But wonder upon wonder! what was he then obliged to behold with his own eyes!

“What is happening? What are they doing?” he asked himself. He crept up to the entrance so he could watch his guests without being seen. But wonder upon wonder! What a sight he saw with his own eyes!

“They have all of them become PIOUS again, they PRAY, they are mad!”—said he, and was astonished beyond measure. And forsooth! all these higher men, the two kings, the pope out of service, the evil magician, the voluntary beggar, the wanderer and shadow, the old soothsayer, the spiritually conscientious one, and the ugliest man—they all lay on their knees like children and credulous old women, and worshipped the ass. And just then began the ugliest man to gurgle and snort, as if something unutterable in him tried to find expression; when, however, he had actually found words, behold! it was a pious, strange litany in praise of the adored and censed ass. And the litany sounded thus:

“They have all become PIOUS again. They PRAY. They are mad!” he said, utterly astonished. And indeed, all these higher men were kneeling and worshipping the ass, like children and gullible old women. There were the two kings, the retired pope, the evil magician, the voluntary beggar, the wanderer and shadow, the old soothsayer, the spiritually conscientious one, and the ugliest man. Just then, the ugliest man began to gurgle and snort, as if something he could not say was trying to find expression. But when he finally found words, they formed a strange, pious litany praising the worshipped ass, before whom incense was burning. And the litany went like this:

Amen! And glory and honour and wisdom and thanks and praise and strength be to our God, from everlasting to everlasting!

Amen! May glory, honor, wisdom, thanks, praise, and strength belong to our God, forever and ever!

—The ass, however, here brayed YE-A.

But at this point, the donkey brayed YE-A.

He carrieth our burdens, he hath taken upon him the form of a servant, he is patient of heart and never saith Nay; and he who loveth his God chastiseth him.

He carries our burdens and has taken the form of a servant. He is patient and never says no. And whoever loves his God punishes him.

—The ass, however, here brayed YE-A.

But at this, the donkey brayed YE-A.

He speaketh not: except that he ever saith Yea to the world which he created: thus doth he extol his world. It is his artfulness that speaketh not: thus is he rarely found wrong.

He does not speak, except to always say yes to the world he created. In this way, he praises his world. His silence is a clever tactic. That is why he is rarely found to be wrong.

—The ass, however, here brayed YE-A.

But at this, the donkey brayed YE-A.

Uncomely goeth he through the world. Grey is the favourite colour in which he wrappeth his virtue. Hath he spirit, then doth he conceal it; every one, however, believeth in his long ears.

He goes through the world looking unattractive. Gray is his favorite color for wrapping his virtue. If he has spirit, he hides it. But everyone believes in his long ears.

—The ass, however, here brayed YE-A.

But here the donkey brayed YE-A.

What hidden wisdom it is to wear long ears, and only to say Yea and never Nay! Hath he not created the world in his own image, namely, as stupid as possible?

What hidden wisdom there is in having long ears and saying only yes, never no! Has he not created the world in his own image, as stupid as possible?

—The ass, however, here brayed YE-A.

But at this point, the donkey brayed YE-A.

Thou goest straight and crooked ways; it concerneth thee little what seemeth straight or crooked unto us men. Beyond good and evil is thy domain. It is thine innocence not to know what innocence is.

You follow straight and crooked paths. You care little about what seems straight or crooked to us humans. Your domain is beyond good and evil. Your innocence is that you do not know what innocence is.

—The ass, however, here brayed YE-A.

But at this, the donkey brayed YE-A.

Lo! how thou spurnest none from thee, neither beggars nor kings. Thou sufferest little children to come unto thee, and when the bad boys decoy thee, then sayest thou simply, YE-A.

Look! You turn no one away, neither beggars nor kings. You let little children come to you. And when bad boys lure you away, you simply say, YES.

—The ass, however, here brayed YE-A.

But at this, the donkey brayed YE-A.

Thou lovest she-asses and fresh figs, thou art no food-despiser. A thistle tickleth thy heart when thou chancest to be hungry. There is the wisdom of a God therein.

You love female donkeys and fresh figs. You do not despise food. When you happen to be hungry, a thistle tickles your heart. There is the wisdom of a God in that.

—The ass, however, here brayed YE-A.

But at this point, the donkey brayed YE-A.