Child and Marriage

I have a question for thee alone, my brother: like a sounding-lead, cast I this question into thy soul, that I may know its depth.

I have a question for you alone, my brother. I cast it into your soul like a weight on a line, so I can measure its depth.

Thou art young, and desirest child and marriage. But I ask thee: Art thou a man ENTITLED to desire a child?

You are young, and you want a child and a marriage. But I ask you: Are you a man ENTITLED to want a child?

Art thou the victorious one, the self-conqueror, the ruler of thy passions, the master of thy virtues? Thus do I ask thee.

Are you the victor, the one who has conquered yourself, who rules your passions and masters your virtues? This is what I ask you.

Or doth the animal speak in thy wish, and necessity? Or isolation? Or discord in thee?

Or is it the animal speaking in your desire and your need? Or is it isolation? Or conflict within you?

I would have thy victory and freedom long for a child. Living monuments shalt thou build to thy victory and emancipation.

I want your victory and freedom to long for a child. You shall build living monuments to your victory and liberation.

Beyond thyself shalt thou build. But first of all must thou be built thyself, rectangular in body and soul.

You must build beyond yourself. But first, you must be built yourself, square in body and soul.

Not only onward shalt thou propagate thyself, but upward! For that purpose may the garden of marriage help thee!

You should reproduce not only to carry yourself forward, but also to rise higher! May the garden of marriage help you do that!

A higher body shalt thou create, a first movement, a spontaneously rolling wheel—a creating one shalt thou create.

You shall create a higher body, a first movement, a wheel that rolls on its own. You shall create a creator.

Marriage: so call I the will of the twain to create the one that is more than those who created it. The reverence for one another, as those exercising such a will, call I marriage.

Marriage: I call it the will of two people to create one who is greater than those who created them. I also call it the reverence they have for each other as people who share this will.

Let this be the significance and the truth of thy marriage. But that which the many-too-many call marriage, those superfluous ones—ah, what shall I call it?

Let this be the meaning and truth of your marriage. But what should I call what the many-too-many, those superfluous ones, call marriage? Ah, what shall I call it?

Ah, the poverty of soul in the twain! Ah, the filth of soul in the twain! Ah, the pitiable self-complacency in the twain!

Ah, how poor in spirit they both are! Ah, how filthy their souls are! Ah, how pitifully pleased they both are with themselves!

Marriage they call it all; and they say their marriages are made in heaven.

They call it all marriage, and they say their marriages are made in heaven.

Well, I do not like it, that heaven of the superfluous! No, I do not like them, those animals tangled in the heavenly toils!

Well, I do not like that heaven of the unnecessary! No, I do not like those animals tangled in heaven's nets!

Far from me also be the God who limpeth thither to bless what he hath not matched!

Keep away from me, too, the God who limps over to bless what he has not joined!

Laugh not at such marriages! What child hath not had reason to weep over its parents?

Don't laugh at such marriages! What child hasn't had reason to weep over their parents?

Worthy did this man seem, and ripe for the meaning of the earth: but when I saw his wife, the earth seemed to me a home for madcaps.

This man seemed worthy and ready for the meaning of the earth. But when I saw his wife, the earth seemed like a home for fools.

Yea, I would that the earth shook with convulsions when a saint and a goose mate with one another.

Yes, I wish the earth would shake with convulsions when a saint and a goose mate.

This one went forth in quest of truth as a hero, and at last got for himself a small decked-up lie: his marriage he calleth it.

This man set out like a hero in search of truth. In the end, he got himself a little dressed-up lie. He calls it his marriage.

That one was reserved in intercourse and chose choicely. But one time he spoilt his company for all time: his marriage he calleth it.

That man was reserved with others and chose his company carefully. But once he ruined his company forever. He calls it his marriage.

Another sought a handmaid with the virtues of an angel. But all at once he became the handmaid of a woman, and now would he need also to become an angel.

Another man sought a servant with the virtues of an angel. But suddenly he became a woman's servant, and now he would need to become an angel too.

Careful, have I found all buyers, and all of them have astute eyes. But even the astutest of them buyeth his wife in a sack.

I have found all buyers to be careful, and all of them have sharp eyes. But even the sharpest buys his wife in a sack.

Many short follies—that is called love by you. And your marriage putteth an end to many short follies, with one long stupidity.

You call many short follies love. And your marriage puts an end to many short follies with one long act of stupidity.

Your love to woman, and woman’s love to man—ah, would that it were sympathy for suffering and veiled deities! But generally two animals alight on one another.

Your love for women and women’s love for men. Ah, if only that love were compassion for suffering and hidden gods! But usually, two animals simply fall upon each other.

But even your best love is only an enraptured simile and a painful ardour. It is a torch to light you to loftier paths.

But even your best love is only an ecstatic comparison and a painful passion. It is a torch to light your way to higher paths.

Beyond yourselves shall ye love some day! Then LEARN first of all to love. And on that account ye had to drink the bitter cup of your love.

Someday you will love beyond yourselves! But first you must LEARN to love. That is why you had to drink the bitter cup of your love.

Bitterness is in the cup even of the best love: thus doth it cause longing for the Superman; thus doth it cause thirst in thee, the creating one!

Even the best love has bitterness in its cup. This bitterness creates longing for the Superman. It makes you, the creator, thirst for him.

Thirst in the creating one, arrow and longing for the Superman: tell me, my brother, is this thy will to marriage?

A creator’s thirst, an arrow and a longing for the Superman: tell me, my brother, is this your desire for marriage?

Holy call I such a will, and such a marriage.—

I call such a will and such a marriage holy.

Thus spake Zarathustra.

This is what Zarathustra said.