The Pale Criminal

Ye do not mean to slay, ye judges and sacrificers, until the animal hath bowed its head? Lo! the pale criminal hath bowed his head: out of his eye speaketh the great contempt.

You judges and sacrificers, you do not intend to kill until the animal has bowed its head? Look! The pale criminal has bowed his head. His eyes speak of great contempt.

“Mine ego is something which is to be surpassed: mine ego is to me the great contempt of man”: so speaketh it out of that eye.

“My self is something I must overcome. To me, my self is what I most despise about humanity”: that is what the eye says.

When he judged himself—that was his supreme moment; let not the exalted one relapse again into his low estate!

When he judged himself, he reached his highest moment. Let the exalted one not fall back into his low state!

There is no salvation for him who thus suffereth from himself, unless it be speedy death.

There is no salvation for anyone who suffers from himself in this way, except a quick death.

Your slaying, ye judges, shall be pity, and not revenge; and in that ye slay, see to it that ye yourselves justify life!

Judges, when you kill, let it be out of pity, not revenge. And as you kill, make sure you justify life itself!

It is not enough that ye should reconcile with him whom ye slay. Let your sorrow be love to the Superman: thus will ye justify your own survival!

It is not enough to make peace with the person you kill. Let your sorrow be love for the Superman. In this way, you will justify your own survival!

“Enemy” shall ye say but not “villain,” “invalid” shall ye say but not “wretch,” “fool” shall ye say but not “sinner.”

Say “enemy,” not “villain.” Say “sick person,” not “wretch.” Say “fool,” not “sinner.”

And thou, red judge, if thou would say audibly all thou hast done in thought, then would every one cry: “Away with the nastiness and the virulent reptile!”

And you, red judge, if you said aloud everything you have done in your thoughts, everyone would cry: “Away with the filth and the poisonous reptile!”

But one thing is the thought, another thing is the deed, and another thing is the idea of the deed. The wheel of causality doth not roll between them.

But a thought is one thing, an act is another, and the idea of the act is yet another. The wheel of cause and effect does not turn between them.

An idea made this pale man pale. Adequate was he for his deed when he did it, but the idea of it, he could not endure when it was done.

An idea made this pale man turn pale. He was capable of doing the deed when he did it. But once it was done, he could not bear the thought of it.

Evermore did he now see himself as the doer of one deed. Madness, I call this: the exception reversed itself to the rule in him.

From then on, he always saw himself as the man who had done one deed. I call this madness: for him, the exception had become the rule.

The streak of chalk bewitcheth the hen; the stroke he struck bewitched his weak reason. Madness AFTER the deed, I call this.

A chalk line hypnotizes a hen. The blow he struck hypnotized his weak mind. I call this madness AFTER the deed.

Hearken, ye judges! There is another madness besides, and it is BEFORE the deed. Ah! ye have not gone deep enough into this soul!

Listen, judges! There is another kind of madness, and it comes BEFORE the deed. Ah! You have not looked deeply enough into this soul!

Thus speaketh the red judge: “Why did this criminal commit murder? He meant to rob.” I tell you, however, that his soul wanted blood, not booty: he thirsted for the happiness of the knife!

The red judge says: “Why did this criminal commit murder? He wanted to rob.” But I tell you, his soul wanted blood, not loot. He thirsted for the joy of the knife!

But his weak reason understood not this madness, and it persuaded him. “What matter about blood!” it said; “wishest thou not, at least, to make booty thereby? Or take revenge?”

But his weak reason did not understand this madness, and it persuaded him. “What does blood matter?” it said. “Don't you at least want to profit from it? Or take revenge?”

And he hearkened unto his weak reason: like lead lay its words upon him—thereupon he robbed when he murdered. He did not mean to be ashamed of his madness.

And he listened to his weak reason. Its words weighed on him like lead, so he robbed when he murdered. He did not want to be ashamed of his madness.

And now once more lieth the lead of his guilt upon him, and once more is his weak reason so benumbed, so paralysed, and so dull.

And now the weight of his guilt lies on him once more. Once more, his weak reason is numb, paralyzed, and dull.

Could he only shake his head, then would his burden roll off; but who shaketh that head?

If only he could shake his head, his burden would roll off. But who can shake that head?

What is this man? A mass of diseases that reach out into the world through the spirit; there they want to get their prey.

What is this man? A mass of diseases that reach out into the world through the spirit. There, they seek their prey.

What is this man? A coil of wild serpents that are seldom at peace among themselves—so they go forth apart and seek prey in the world.

What is this man? A coil of wild snakes that are rarely at peace with one another. So they go out separately and hunt for prey in the world.

Look at that poor body! What it suffered and craved, the poor soul interpreted to itself—it interpreted it as murderous desire, and eagerness for the happiness of the knife.

Look at that poor body! The poor soul interpreted the body’s suffering and cravings as murderous desire and eagerness for the happiness of the knife.

Him who now turneth sick, the evil overtaketh which is now the evil: he seeketh to cause pain with that which causeth him pain. But there have been other ages, and another evil and good.

Anyone who falls sick now is overcome by the evil of our time: they seek to hurt others with what hurts them. But there have been other ages, with different ideas of good and evil.

Once was doubt evil, and the will to Self. Then the invalid became a heretic or sorcerer; as heretic or sorcerer he suffered, and sought to cause suffering.

Once, doubt and the will to be oneself were considered evil. Back then, a sick person became a heretic or a sorcerer. As a heretic or sorcerer, the sick person suffered and sought to make others suffer.

But this will not enter your ears; it hurteth your good people, ye tell me. But what doth it matter to me about your good people!

But you refuse to listen to this. You tell me it hurts your good people. But what do I care about your good people!

Many things in your good people cause me disgust, and verily, not their evil. I would that they had a madness by which they succumbed, like this pale criminal!

Many things about your good people disgust me, and their evil is certainly not among them. I wish they had a madness that would bring them down, like this pale criminal!

Verily, I would that their madness were called truth, or fidelity, or justice: but they have their virtue in order to live long, and in wretched self-complacency.

I wish their madness were called truth, or loyalty, or justice. But they have their virtue so they can live long, in miserable self-satisfaction.

I am a railing alongside the torrent; whoever is able to grasp me may grasp me! Your crutch, however, I am not.—

I am a railing beside the rushing water. Whoever can grasp me may grasp me! But I am not your crutch.

Thus spake Zarathustra.

This is what Zarathustra said.