The New Idol

Somewhere there are still peoples and herds, but not with us, my brethren: here there are states.

Somewhere there are still peoples and herds, but not among us, my brothers. Here there are states.

A state? What is that? Well! open now your ears unto me, for now will I say unto you my word concerning the death of peoples.

A state? What is that? Well, listen to me now, for I will tell you about the death of peoples.

A state, is called the coldest of all cold monsters. Coldly lieth it also; and this lie creepeth from its mouth: “I, the state, am the people.”

The state is called the coldest of all cold monsters. It also lies coldly, and this lie creeps from its mouth: “I, the state, am the people.”

It is a lie! Creators were they who created peoples, and hung a faith and a love over them: thus they served life.

It is a lie! Creators created peoples and placed a faith and a love over them. In this way, they served life.

Destroyers, are they who lay snares for many, and call it the state: they hang a sword and a hundred cravings over them.

Those who set traps for many people and call it the state are destroyers. They hang a sword and a hundred cravings over those people.

Where there is still a people, there the state is not understood, but hated as the evil eye, and as sin against laws and customs.

Where a people still exists, it does not understand the state. Instead, it hates the state as the evil eye and as a sin against laws and customs.

This sign I give unto you: every people speaketh its language of good and evil: this its neighbour understandeth not. Its language hath it devised for itself in laws and customs.

I give you this sign: Every people speaks its own language of good and evil. Its neighbors do not understand it. Each people has devised this language for itself in its laws and customs.

But the state lieth in all languages of good and evil; and whatever it saith it lieth; and whatever it hath it hath stolen.

But the state lies in every language of good and evil. Everything it says is a lie, and everything it has is stolen.

False is everything in it; with stolen teeth it biteth, the biting one. False are even its bowels.

Everything in it is false. The biting creature bites with stolen teeth. Even its bowels are false.

Confusion of language of good and evil; this sign I give unto you as the sign of the state. Verily, the will to death, indicateth this sign! Verily, it beckoneth unto the preachers of death!

Confusion in the language of good and evil: I give you this as the sign of the state. Truly, this sign points to the will to death! Truly, it beckons to the preachers of death!

Many too many are born: for the superfluous ones was the state devised!

Far too many people are born. The state was devised for those who are superfluous!

See just how it enticeth them to it, the many-too-many! How it swalloweth and cheweth and recheweth them!

See how it lures the many-too-many to itself! How it swallows them, chews them, and chews them again!

“On earth there is nothing greater than I: it is I who am the regulating finger of God”—thus roareth the monster. And not only the long-eared and short-sighted fall upon their knees!

“On earth, nothing is greater than I am. I am the guiding finger of God,” roars the monster. And it is not only the long-eared and short-sighted who fall to their knees!

Ah! even in your ears, ye great souls, it whispereth its gloomy lies! Ah! it findeth out the rich hearts which willingly lavish themselves!

Ah! Even in your ears, you great souls, it whispers its gloomy lies! Ah! It finds the rich hearts that willingly give themselves away!

Yea, it findeth you out too, ye conquerors of the old God! Weary ye became of the conflict, and now your weariness serveth the new idol!

Yes, it finds you out too, you conquerors of the old God! You grew tired of the struggle, and now your weariness serves the new idol!

Heroes and honourable ones, it would fain set up around it, the new idol! Gladly it basketh in the sunshine of good consciences,—the cold monster!

The new idol wants to surround itself with heroes and honorable people! The cold monster gladly basks in the sunshine of clear consciences!

Everything will it give YOU, if YE worship it, the new idol: thus it purchaseth the lustre of your virtue, and the glance of your proud eyes.

The new idol will give you everything if you worship it. In this way, it buys the luster of your virtue and the look in your proud eyes.

It seeketh to allure by means of you, the many-too-many! Yea, a hellish artifice hath here been devised, a death-horse jingling with the trappings of divine honours!

It seeks to lure others through you, the many-too-many! Yes, a hellish trick has been devised here: a death-horse jingling with the trappings of divine honors!

Yea, a dying for many hath here been devised, which glorifieth itself as life: verily, a hearty service unto all preachers of death!

Yes, a way of dying for many has been devised here, and it glorifies itself as life. It truly serves all preachers of death well!

The state, I call it, where all are poison-drinkers, the good and the bad: the state, where all lose themselves, the good and the bad: the state, where the slow suicide of all—is called “life.”

I call it the state, where all drink poison, the good and the bad. In the state, all lose themselves, the good and the bad. In the state, the slow suicide of all is called “life.”

Just see these superfluous ones! They steal the works of the inventors and the treasures of the wise. Culture, they call their theft—and everything becometh sickness and trouble unto them!

Just look at these unnecessary people! They steal the works of inventors and the treasures of the wise. They call their theft culture, and everything becomes sickness and trouble for them!

Just see these superfluous ones! Sick are they always; they vomit their bile and call it a newspaper. They devour one another, and cannot even digest themselves.

Just look at these superfluous people! They are always sick. They vomit up their bile and call it a newspaper. They devour one another, yet they cannot even digest themselves.

Just see these superfluous ones! Wealth they acquire and become poorer thereby. Power they seek for, and above all, the lever of power, much money—these impotent ones!

Just look at these unnecessary people! They gain wealth, but it makes them poorer. They seek power, and above all, the lever of power: lots of money. These powerless people!

See them clamber, these nimble apes! They clamber over one another, and thus scuffle into the mud and the abyss.

Look at these nimble apes climbing! They scramble over one another, and in the struggle, they fall into the mud and the abyss.

Towards the throne they all strive: it is their madness—as if happiness sat on the throne! Ofttimes sitteth filth on the throne.—and ofttimes also the throne on filth.

They all strive for the throne. That is their madness, as if happiness sat on the throne! Often filth sits on the throne, and often the throne sits on filth.

Madmen they all seem to me, and clambering apes, and too eager. Badly smelleth their idol to me, the cold monster: badly they all smell to me, these idolaters.

They all seem like madmen to me, like climbing apes, too eager. Their idol, the cold monster, smells bad to me. All these idolaters smell bad to me.

My brethren, will ye suffocate in the fumes of their maws and appetites! Better break the windows and jump into the open air!

My brothers, will you suffocate in the fumes of their mouths and appetites? Better to break the windows and jump into the open air!

Do go out of the way of the bad odour! Withdraw from the idolatry of the superfluous!

Get away from the bad smell! Turn away from the worship of what is unnecessary!

Do go out of the way of the bad odour! Withdraw from the steam of these human sacrifices!

Get away from the bad smell! Step back from the steam of these human sacrifices!

Open still remaineth the earth for great souls. Empty are still many sites for lone ones and twain ones, around which floateth the odour of tranquil seas.

The earth is still open to great souls. Many places still lie empty for those who live alone or in pairs, with the scent of calm seas drifting around them.

Open still remaineth a free life for great souls. Verily, he who possesseth little is so much the less possessed: blessed be moderate poverty!

A free life is still open to great souls. Truly, the less a person owns, the less they are owned. Blessed be moderate poverty!

There, where the state ceaseth—there only commenceth the man who is not superfluous: there commenceth the song of the necessary ones, the single and irreplaceable melody.

Only where the state ends does the person who is not superfluous begin. There begins the song of those who are necessary, the unique and irreplaceable melody.

There, where the state CEASETH—pray look thither, my brethren! Do ye not see it, the rainbow and the bridges of the Superman?—

Look there, my brothers, where the state ENDS! Don't you see the rainbow and the bridges of the Superman?

Thus spake Zarathustra.

This is what Zarathustra said.