The Giving Virtue

When Zarathustra had taken leave of the town to which his heart was attached, the name of which is “The Pied Cow,” there followed him many people who called themselves his disciples, and kept him company. Thus came they to a crossroad. Then Zarathustra told them that he now wanted to go alone; for he was fond of going alone. His disciples, however, presented him at his departure with a staff, on the golden handle of which a serpent twined round the sun. Zarathustra rejoiced on account of the staff, and supported himself thereon; then spake he thus to his disciples:

When Zarathustra left the town he loved, called “The Pied Cow,” many people followed him. They called themselves his disciples and kept him company. Eventually, they came to a crossroads. Zarathustra told them he wanted to go on alone, because he liked to travel alone. As he was leaving, his disciples gave him a staff. A serpent curled around the sun on its golden handle. Zarathustra was delighted with the staff and leaned on it. Then he spoke to his disciples:

Tell me, pray: how came gold to the highest value? Because it is uncommon, and unprofiting, and beaming, and soft in lustre; it always bestoweth itself.

Tell me, how did gold become so valuable? Because it is rare, useless, shining, and soft in its glow. It always gives itself away.

Only as image of the highest virtue came gold to the highest value. Goldlike, beameth the glance of the bestower. Gold-lustre maketh peace between moon and sun.

Gold gained its highest value only as a symbol of the highest virtue. The giver’s gaze shines like gold. Gold’s luster makes peace between the moon and the sun.

Uncommon is the highest virtue, and unprofiting, beaming is it, and soft of lustre: a bestowing virtue is the highest virtue.

The highest virtue is rare and brings no profit. It shines with a soft glow. The highest virtue is a giving virtue.

Verily, I divine you well, my disciples: ye strive like me for the bestowing virtue. What should ye have in common with cats and wolves?

Truly, I understand you well, my disciples: like me, you strive for the virtue of giving. What could you have in common with cats and wolves?

It is your thirst to become sacrifices and gifts yourselves: and therefore have ye the thirst to accumulate all riches in your soul.

You long to become sacrifices and gifts yourselves. That is why you long to gather all riches in your soul.

Insatiably striveth your soul for treasures and jewels, because your virtue is insatiable in desiring to bestow.

Your soul never stops seeking treasures and jewels, because your virtue never stops wanting to give.

Ye constrain all things to flow towards you and into you, so that they shall flow back again out of your fountain as the gifts of your love.

You force all things to flow toward you and into you, so they can flow back out of your fountain as gifts of your love.

Verily, an appropriator of all values must such bestowing love become; but healthy and holy, call I this selfishness.—

Such giving love must indeed claim all values for itself. But I call this selfishness healthy and holy.

Another selfishness is there, an all-too-poor and hungry kind, which would always steal—the selfishness of the sick, the sickly selfishness.

There is another kind of selfishness, one that is all too poor and hungry and always wants to steal. It is the selfishness of the sick, a sickly selfishness.

With the eye of the thief it looketh upon all that is lustrous; with the craving of hunger it measureth him who hath abundance; and ever doth it prowl round the tables of bestowers.

It looks at all that shines with the eye of a thief. With hungry desire, it sizes up anyone who has plenty. It is always prowling around the tables of those who give.

Sickness speaketh in such craving, and invisible degeneration; of a sickly body, speaketh the larcenous craving of this selfishness.

Sickness and hidden degeneration speak through such craving. The thieving craving of this selfishness speaks of a sickly body.

Tell me, my brother, what do we think bad, and worst of all? Is it not DEGENERATION?—And we always suspect degeneration when the bestowing soul is lacking.

Tell me, my brother, what do we consider bad, and worst of all? Isn't it DEGENERATION? And we always suspect degeneration when the giving soul is missing.

Upward goeth our course from genera on to super-genera. But a horror to us is the degenerating sense, which saith: “All for myself.”

Our course leads upward from genera to super-genera. But we are horrified by the declining instinct that says: “All for myself.”

Upward soareth our sense: thus is it a simile of our body, a simile of an elevation. Such similes of elevations are the names of the virtues.

Our sense soars upward. So it is an image of our body, an image of rising. The names of the virtues are such images of rising.

Thus goeth the body through history, a becomer and fighter. And the spirit—what is it to the body? Its fights’ and victories’ herald, its companion and echo.

This is how the body moves through history, always becoming and fighting. And what is the spirit to the body? It announces the body’s struggles and victories, and is its companion and echo.

Similes, are all names of good and evil; they do not speak out, they only hint. A fool who seeketh knowledge from them!

All names for good and evil are figures of speech. They do not speak plainly, but only hint. Anyone who seeks knowledge from them is a fool!

Give heed, my brethren, to every hour when your spirit would speak in similes: there is the origin of your virtue.

Pay attention, my brothers, whenever your spirit wants to speak in comparisons. That is where your virtue begins.

Elevated is then your body, and raised up; with its delight, enraptureth it the spirit; so that it becometh creator, and valuer, and lover, and everything’s benefactor.

Then your body is lifted up and exalted. Its delight fills the spirit with joy, so that the spirit becomes a creator, a judge of value, a lover, and a benefactor to everything.

When your heart overfloweth broad and full like the river, a blessing and a danger to the lowlanders: there is the origin of your virtue.

When your heart overflows like a wide, full river, bringing both blessing and danger to those downstream, your virtue begins there.

When ye are exalted above praise and blame, and your will would command all things, as a loving one’s will: there is the origin of your virtue.

When you rise above praise and blame, and your will seeks to command all things, as a lover’s will does, that is where your virtue begins.

When ye despise pleasant things, and the effeminate couch, and cannot couch far enough from the effeminate: there is the origin of your virtue.

Your virtue begins when you despise pleasant things and the soft couch, and cannot lie far enough from such softness.

When ye are willers of one will, and when that change of every need is needful to you: there is the origin of your virtue.

When you will as one, and when that change of every need is necessary to you, your virtue begins there.

Verily, a new good and evil is it! Verily, a new deep murmuring, and the voice of a new fountain!

Truly, this is a new good and evil! Truly, a new deep murmuring and the voice of a new fountain!

Power is it, this new virtue; a ruling thought is it, and around it a subtle soul: a golden sun, with the serpent of knowledge around it.

This new virtue is power. It is a ruling thought, surrounded by a subtle soul: a golden sun with the serpent of knowledge coiled around it.

Here paused Zarathustra awhile, and looked lovingly on his disciples. Then he continued to speak thus—and his voice had changed:

Here Zarathustra paused for a while and looked lovingly at his disciples. Then he continued speaking, but his voice had changed:

Remain true to the earth, my brethren, with the power of your virtue! Let your bestowing love and your knowledge be devoted to be the meaning of the earth! Thus do I pray and conjure you.

Stay true to the earth, my brothers, with the power of your virtue! Let your giving love and your knowledge serve as the meaning of the earth! I beg and urge you to do this.

Let it not fly away from the earthly and beat against eternal walls with its wings! Ah, there hath always been so much flown-away virtue!

Do not let it fly away from the earth and beat its wings against eternal walls! Ah, so much virtue has always flown away!

Lead, like me, the flown-away virtue back to the earth—yea, back to body and life: that it may give to the earth its meaning, a human meaning!

Like me, bring virtue, which has flown away, back to earth. Yes, bring it back to the body and to life, so that it may give the earth its meaning, a human meaning!

A hundred times hitherto hath spirit as well as virtue flown away and blundered. Alas! in our body dwelleth still all this delusion and blundering: body and will hath it there become.

A hundred times until now, spirit and virtue have flown away and blundered. Alas, all this delusion and blundering still live in our bodies. There they have become body and will.

A hundred times hitherto hath spirit as well as virtue attempted and erred. Yea, an attempt hath man been. Alas, much ignorance and error hath become embodied in us!

A hundred times until now, both spirit and virtue have tried and failed. Yes, humanity itself has been an experiment. Alas, so much ignorance and error have become part of us!

Not only the rationality of millenniums—also their madness, breaketh out in us. Dangerous is it to be an heir.

Not only the wisdom of thousands of years, but also their madness, breaks out in us. It is dangerous to be an heir.

Still fight we step by step with the giant Chance, and over all mankind hath hitherto ruled nonsense, the lack-of-sense.

We still fight the giant Chance step by step, and until now, nonsense, the lack of sense, has ruled all humanity.

Let your spirit and your virtue be devoted to the sense of the earth, my brethren: let the value of everything be determined anew by you! Therefore shall ye be fighters! Therefore shall ye be creators!

My brothers, devote your spirit and your virtue to the meaning of the earth. Determine the value of everything anew! For this, you must be fighters! For this, you must be creators!

Intelligently doth the body purify itself; attempting with intelligence it exalteth itself; to the discerners all impulses sanctify themselves; to the exalted the soul becometh joyful.

The body cleanses itself intelligently. By acting intelligently, it elevates itself. For those who discern, all impulses become sacred. For those who are elevated, the soul becomes joyful.

Physician, heal thyself: then wilt thou also heal thy patient. Let it be his best cure to see with his eyes him who maketh himself whole.

Physician, heal yourself. Then you will also heal your patient. Let his best cure be seeing you make yourself whole.

A thousand paths are there which have never yet been trodden; a thousand salubrities and hidden islands of life. Unexhausted and undiscovered is still man and man’s world.

A thousand paths have never been walked. There are a thousand sources of health and hidden islands of life. Humanity and its world are still far from exhausted or fully discovered.

Awake and hearken, ye lonesome ones! From the future come winds with stealthy pinions, and to fine ears good tidings are proclaimed.

Wake up and listen, you lonely ones! Winds come from the future on silent wings. Good news is proclaimed to those with keen ears.

Ye lonesome ones of to-day, ye seceding ones, ye shall one day be a people: out of you who have chosen yourselves, shall a chosen people arise:—and out of it the Superman.

You who are lonely today, you who have separated yourselves, will one day become a people. From you who have chosen yourselves, a chosen people will arise. And from that people, the Superman will arise.

Verily, a place of healing shall the earth become! And already is a new odour diffused around it, a salvation-bringing odour—and a new hope!

The earth will indeed become a place of healing! Already, a new scent spreads around the earth, a scent that brings salvation, and a new hope!

When Zarathustra had spoken these words, he paused, like one who had not said his last word; and long did he balance the staff doubtfully in his hand. At last he spake thus—and his voice had changed:

After Zarathustra spoke these words, he paused, as if he had not said his last word. For a long time, he balanced the staff uncertainly in his hand. At last he spoke again, and his voice had changed:

I now go alone, my disciples! Ye also now go away, and alone! So will I have it.

I now go alone, my disciples! You must also go away now, alone! That is what I want.

Verily, I advise you: depart from me, and guard yourselves against Zarathustra! And better still: be ashamed of him! Perhaps he hath deceived you.

I tell you, leave me and beware of Zarathustra! Better still, be ashamed of him! Perhaps he has deceived you.

The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies, but also to hate his friends.

A person of knowledge must be able not only to love their enemies, but also to hate their friends.

One requiteth a teacher badly if one remain merely a scholar. And why will ye not pluck at my wreath?

You repay a teacher poorly if you remain only a student. And why won't you pluck at my wreath?

Ye venerate me; but what if your veneration should some day collapse? Take heed lest a statue crush you!

You worship me. But what if your worship collapses someday? Take care that a statue does not crush you!

Ye say, ye believe in Zarathustra? But of what account is Zarathustra! Ye are my believers: but of what account are all believers!

You say you believe in Zarathustra? But what does Zarathustra matter! You are my believers, but what do all believers matter!

Ye had not yet sought yourselves: then did ye find me. So do all believers; therefore all belief is of so little account.

You had not yet sought yourselves when you found me. All believers do the same, so all belief is worth so little.

Now do I bid you lose me and find yourselves; and only when ye have all denied me, will I return unto you.

Now I ask you to lose me and find yourselves. Only when you have all denied me will I return to you.

Verily, with other eyes, my brethren, shall I then seek my lost ones; with another love shall I then love you.

Truly, my brothers, I will then look for my lost ones with different eyes. I will love you with a different love.

And once again shall ye have become friends unto me, and children of one hope: then will I be with you for the third time, to celebrate the great noontide with you.

Once again, you will be my friends and children of one hope. Then I will join you for the third time to celebrate the great noon with you.

And it is the great noontide, when man is in the middle of his course between animal and Superman, and celebrateth his advance to the evening as his highest hope: for it is the advance to a new morning.

And it is the great midday, when humanity is halfway between animal and Superman. Humanity celebrates its journey toward evening as its greatest hope, because that journey leads to a new morning.

At such time will the down-goer bless himself, that he should be an over-goer; and the sun of his knowledge will be at noontide.

At that time, the down-goer will bless himself for being an over-goer. The sun of his knowledge will be at noon.

“DEAD ARE ALL THE GODS: NOW DO WE DESIRE THE SUPERMAN TO LIVE.”—Let this be our final will at the great noontide!—

“ALL THE GODS ARE DEAD. NOW WE WANT THE SUPERMAN TO LIVE.” Let this be our final wish at the great noon!

Thus spake Zarathustra.

This is what Zarathustra said.