Manly Wisdom

Not the height, it is the declivity that is terrible!

It is not the height that is terrifying, but the steep drop!

The declivity, where the gaze shooteth DOWNWARDS, and the hand graspeth UPWARDS. There doth the heart become giddy through its double will.

The slope where the gaze shoots DOWNWARD and the hand reaches UPWARD. There, the heart grows dizzy from its two opposing desires.

Ah, friends, do ye divine also my heart’s double will?

Ah, friends, can you also sense the two wills in my heart?

This, this is MY declivity and my danger, that my gaze shooteth towards the summit, and my hand would fain clutch and lean—on the depth!

This, this is MY downward slope and my danger: my gaze shoots toward the summit, while my hand wants to grasp and lean on the depths!

To man clingeth my will; with chains do I bind myself to man, because I am pulled upwards to the Superman: for thither doth mine other will tend.

My will clings to man. I bind myself to man with chains because I am pulled upward toward the Superman. For that is where my other will leads me.

And THEREFORE do I live blindly among men, as if I knew them not: that my hand may not entirely lose belief in firmness.

And THEREFORE I live blindly among people, as if I did not know them. I do this so my hand may not entirely lose its belief in firmness.

I know not you men: this gloom and consolation is often spread around me.

I do not know you men: this gloom and comfort often surround me.

I sit at the gateway for every rogue, and ask: Who wisheth to deceive me?

I sit at the gate for every scoundrel and ask: Who wants to deceive me?

This is my first manly prudence, that I allow myself to be deceived, so as not to be on my guard against deceivers.

My first rule of manly prudence is to let myself be deceived, so I need not guard against deceivers.

Ah, if I were on my guard against man, how could man be an anchor to my ball! Too easily would I be pulled upwards and away!

Ah, if I guarded myself against humanity, how could humanity anchor my ball! I would be pulled up and away too easily!

This providence is over my fate, that I have to be without foresight.

This is the providence that governs my fate: I must live without foresight.

And he who would not languish amongst men, must learn to drink out of all glasses; and he who would keep clean amongst men, must know how to wash himself even with dirty water.

Anyone who does not want to languish among people must learn to drink from all glasses. And anyone who wants to stay clean among people must know how to wash even with dirty water.

And thus spake I often to myself for consolation: “Courage! Cheer up! old heart! An unhappiness hath failed to befall thee: enjoy that as thy—happiness!”

And so I often comforted myself by saying: “Courage! Cheer up, old heart! Something bad did not happen to you. Enjoy that as your happiness!”

This, however, is mine other manly prudence: I am more forbearing to the VAIN than to the proud.

But this is my other piece of manly wisdom: I am more tolerant of the VAIN than of the proud.

Is not wounded vanity the mother of all tragedies? Where, however, pride is wounded, there groweth up something better than pride.

Isn't wounded vanity the mother of all tragedies? But where pride is wounded, something better than pride grows.

That life may be fair to behold, its game must be well played; for that purpose, however, it needeth good actors.

For life to be beautiful to behold, its game must be played well. But that requires good actors.

Good actors have I found all the vain ones: they play, and wish people to be fond of beholding them—all their spirit is in this wish.

I have found that all vain people are good actors. They perform and want people to enjoy watching them. Their whole spirit is in that desire.

They represent themselves, they invent themselves; in their neighbourhood I like to look upon life—it cureth of melancholy.

They present themselves and invent themselves. When I am around them, I like to look at life. It cures me of melancholy.

Therefore am I forbearing to the vain, because they are the physicians of my melancholy, and keep me attached to man as to a drama.

That is why I am patient with vain people. They are the doctors of my melancholy and keep me attached to humanity as if it were a drama.

And further, who conceiveth the full depth of the modesty of the vain man! I am favourable to him, and sympathetic on account of his modesty.

And who can fully grasp the depth of a vain man's modesty? I am fond of him and feel sympathy for him because of his modesty.

From you would he learn his belief in himself; he feedeth upon your glances, he eateth praise out of your hands.

He looks to you to learn to believe in himself. He feeds on your glances and eats praise from your hands.

Your lies doth he even believe when you lie favourably about him: for in its depths sigheth his heart: “What am I?”

He even believes your lies when you lie favorably about him. For deep in his heart, he sighs: “What am I?”

And if that be the true virtue which is unconscious of itself—well, the vain man is unconscious of his modesty!—

And if true virtue is unaware of itself, well, the vain man is unaware of his modesty!

This is, however, my third manly prudence: I am not put out of conceit with the WICKED by your timorousness.

This, however, is my third piece of manly wisdom: Your fear does not make me dislike the WICKED.

I am happy to see the marvels the warm sun hatcheth: tigers and palms and rattle-snakes.

I am happy to see the wonders the warm sun brings to life: tigers, palms, and rattlesnakes.

Also amongst men there is a beautiful brood of the warm sun, and much that is marvellous in the wicked.

Among humans, too, there are beautiful children of the warm sun, and there is much that is wonderful in the wicked.

In truth, as your wisest did not seem to me so very wise, so found I also human wickedness below the fame of it.

In truth, just as your wisest did not seem very wise to me, I found human wickedness less than its reputation suggested.

And oft did I ask with a shake of the head: Why still rattle, ye rattle-snakes?

And I often shook my head and asked: Why do you still rattle, rattlesnakes?

Verily, there is still a future even for evil! And the warmest south is still undiscovered by man.

Indeed, even evil still has a future! And humanity has yet to discover the warmest south.

How many things are now called the worst wickedness, which are only twelve feet broad and three months long! Some day, however, will greater dragons come into the world.

How many things now called the worst wickedness are only twelve feet wide and three months long! But someday, greater dragons will come into the world.

For that the Superman may not lack his dragon, the superdragon that is worthy of him, there must still much warm sun glow on moist virgin forests!

So that the Superman may not lack a dragon, a superdragon worthy of him, the warm sun must still shine long on moist, untouched forests!

Out of your wild cats must tigers have evolved, and out of your poison-toads, crocodiles: for the good hunter shall have a good hunt!

Your wild cats must have evolved into tigers, and your poison toads into crocodiles. For a good hunter deserves a good hunt!

And verily, ye good and just! In you there is much to be laughed at, and especially your fear of what hath hitherto been called “the devil!”

And truly, you good and just people! There is much to laugh at in you, especially your fear of what has until now been called “the devil!”

So alien are ye in your souls to what is great, that to you the Superman would be FRIGHTFUL in his goodness!

Your souls are so alien to greatness that the Superman would FRIGHTEN you with his goodness!

And ye wise and knowing ones, ye would flee from the solar-glow of the wisdom in which the Superman joyfully batheth his nakedness!

And you wise and knowledgeable ones would flee from the sunlight of wisdom, where the Superman joyfully bathes naked!

Ye highest men who have come within my ken! this is my doubt of you, and my secret laughter: I suspect ye would call my Superman—a devil!

You highest men I have known! This is my doubt about you, and why I laugh to myself: I suspect you would call my Superman a devil!

Ah, I became tired of those highest and best ones: from their “height” did I long to be up, out, and away to the Superman!

Ah, I grew tired of those highest and best people. From their “height,” I longed to rise and move beyond them, toward the Superman!

A horror came over me when I saw those best ones naked: then there grew for me the pinions to soar away into distant futures.

I was horrified when I saw the best of them naked. Then I grew wings to soar away into distant futures.

Into more distant futures, into more southern souths than ever artist dreamed of: thither, where Gods are ashamed of all clothes!

Into more distant futures, into more southern souths than any artist ever dreamed of: there, where gods are ashamed of all clothes!

But disguised do I want to see YOU, ye neighbours and fellowmen, and well-attired and vain and estimable, as “the good and just;”—

But I want to see you, my neighbors and fellow human beings, in disguise: well dressed, vain, and respectable, as “the good and just.”

And disguised will I myself sit amongst you—that I may MISTAKE you and myself: for that is my last manly prudence.—

And I will sit among you in disguise, so that I may MISTAKE you and myself. For that is my last act of manly prudence.

Thus spake Zarathustra.

This is what Zarathustra said.