The Virtuous

With thunder and heavenly fireworks must one speak to indolent and somnolent senses.

You must speak with thunder and heavenly fireworks to lazy, sleepy senses.

But beauty’s voice speaketh gently: it appealeth only to the most awakened souls.

But beauty’s voice speaks gently. It appeals only to the most awakened souls.

Gently vibrated and laughed unto me to-day my buckler; it was beauty’s holy laughing and thrilling.

Today, my shield gently trembled and laughed at me. It was beauty’s sacred laughter and trembling.

At you, ye virtuous ones, laughed my beauty to-day. And thus came its voice unto me: “They want—to be paid besides!”

My beauty laughed at you today, you virtuous ones. And its voice said to me: “They want to be paid too!”

Ye want to be paid besides, ye virtuous ones! Ye want reward for virtue, and heaven for earth, and eternity for your to-day?

You virtuous people want to be paid as well! You want a reward for virtue, heaven for earth, and eternity for today?

And now ye upbraid me for teaching that there is no reward-giver, nor paymaster? And verily, I do not even teach that virtue is its own reward.

And now you criticize me for teaching that no one gives rewards or pays wages? In truth, I do not even teach that virtue is its own reward.

Ah! this is my sorrow: into the basis of things have reward and punishment been insinuated—and now even into the basis of your souls, ye virtuous ones!

Ah! This is my sorrow: reward and punishment have crept into the foundation of things. And now they have crept into the foundation of your souls too, you virtuous ones!

But like the snout of the boar shall my word grub up the basis of your souls; a ploughshare will I be called by you.

But my words will dig up the foundations of your souls like a boar’s snout. You will call me a plowshare.

All the secrets of your heart shall be brought to light; and when ye lie in the sun, grubbed up and broken, then will also your falsehood be separated from your truth.

All the secrets of your heart will be brought to light. And when you lie in the sun, uprooted and broken, your falsehood will be separated from your truth.

For this is your truth: ye are TOO PURE for the filth of the words: vengeance, punishment, recompense, retribution.

For this is your truth: you are TOO PURE for the filth of these words: vengeance, punishment, repayment, retribution.

Ye love your virtue as a mother loveth her child; but when did one hear of a mother wanting to be paid for her love?

You love your virtue as a mother loves her child. But when has anyone heard of a mother wanting to be paid for her love?

It is your dearest Self, your virtue. The ring’s thirst is in you: to reach itself again struggleth every ring, and turneth itself.

It is your dearest self, your virtue. The ring’s thirst is in you: every ring turns, striving to reach itself again.

And like the star that goeth out, so is every work of your virtue: ever is its light on its way and travelling—and when will it cease to be on its way?

And every act of your virtue is like a star that goes out. Its light is always traveling, and when will it stop?

Thus is the light of your virtue still on its way, even when its work is done. Be it forgotten and dead, still its ray of light liveth and travelleth.

So the light of your virtue is still traveling, even when its work is done. Even if your virtue is forgotten and dead, its ray of light still lives and travels.

That your virtue is your Self, and not an outward thing, a skin, or a cloak: that is the truth from the basis of your souls, ye virtuous ones!—

Your virtue is your self, not something outward, like a skin or a cloak. That is the truth from the depths of your souls, you virtuous ones!

But sure enough there are those to whom virtue meaneth writhing under the lash: and ye have hearkened too much unto their crying!

But there are indeed people who think virtue means writhing under the whip. And you have listened too much to their cries!

And others are there who call virtue the slothfulness of their vices; and when once their hatred and jealousy relax the limbs, their “justice” becometh lively and rubbeth its sleepy eyes.

Others call the laziness of their vices virtue. And when their hatred and jealousy relax their limbs, their “justice” wakes up and rubs its sleepy eyes.

And others are there who are drawn downwards: their devils draw them. But the more they sink, the more ardently gloweth their eye, and the longing for their God.

Others are drawn downward by their devils. But the deeper they sink, the more fiercely their eyes glow, and the more they long for their God.

Ah! their crying also hath reached your ears, ye virtuous ones: “What I am NOT, that, that is God to me, and virtue!”

Ah! You virtuous ones have heard their cries too: “What I am NOT, that is God and virtue to me!”

And others are there who go along heavily and creakingly, like carts taking stones downhill: they talk much of dignity and virtue—their drag they call virtue!

Others move heavily and creakily, like carts carrying stones downhill. They talk a lot about dignity and virtue. They call their brake virtue!

And others are there who are like eight-day clocks when wound up; they tick, and want people to call ticking—virtue.

Others are like eight-day clocks that have been wound up. They tick and want people to call their ticking virtue.

Verily, in those have I mine amusement: wherever I find such clocks I shall wind them up with my mockery, and they shall even whirr thereby!

I truly find them amusing. Wherever I find such clocks, I will wind them up with my mockery, and they will even whir!

And others are proud of their modicum of righteousness, and for the sake of it do violence to all things: so that the world is drowned in their unrighteousness.

And others are proud of their small measure of righteousness. For its sake, they do violence to all things, so that the world is drowned in their wrongdoing.

Ah! how ineptly cometh the word “virtue” out of their mouth! And when they say: “I am just,” it always soundeth like: “I am just—revenged!”

Ah! How awkwardly the word “virtue” comes out of their mouths! And when they say, “I am just,” it always sounds like, “I am just... avenged!”

With their virtues they want to scratch out the eyes of their enemies; and they elevate themselves only that they may lower others.

They want to use their virtues to scratch out their enemies' eyes. And they raise themselves up only to bring others down.

And again there are those who sit in their swamp, and speak thus from among the bulrushes: “Virtue—that is to sit quietly in the swamp.

And then there are those who sit in their swamp and say from among the reeds: “Virtue is sitting quietly in the swamp.

We bite no one, and go out of the way of him who would bite; and in all matters we have the opinion that is given us.”

We bite no one, and we avoid anyone who would bite us. And on all matters, we accept the opinions we are given.”

And again there are those who love attitudes, and think that virtue is a sort of attitude.

Then there are those who love poses and think virtue is a kind of pose.

Their knees continually adore, and their hands are eulogies of virtue, but their heart knoweth naught thereof.

Their knees are always bent in worship, and their hands praise virtue, but their hearts know nothing of virtue.

And again there are those who regard it as virtue to say: “Virtue is necessary”; but after all they believe only that policemen are necessary.

And there are also those who think it virtuous to say, “Virtue is necessary.” But in the end, they believe only that police officers are necessary.

And many a one who cannot see men’s loftiness, calleth it virtue to see their baseness far too well: thus calleth he his evil eye virtue.—

And many who cannot see what is noble in people call it a virtue to see their baseness all too clearly. In this way, they call their evil eye a virtue.

And some want to be edified and raised up, and call it virtue: and others want to be cast down,—and likewise call it virtue.

Some want to be inspired and lifted up, and call that virtue. Others want to be brought low, and call that virtue too.

And thus do almost all think that they participate in virtue; and at least every one claimeth to be an authority on “good” and “evil.”

And so almost everyone thinks they share in virtue. At least, everyone claims to be an authority on “good” and “evil.”

But Zarathustra came not to say unto all those liars and fools: “What do YE know of virtue! What COULD ye know of virtue!”—

But Zarathustra did not come to say to all those liars and fools: “What do YOU know about virtue! What COULD you know about virtue!”

But that ye, my friends, might become weary of the old words which ye have learned from the fools and liars:

But so that you, my friends, might grow tired of the old words you learned from fools and liars:

That ye might become weary of the words “reward,” “retribution,” “punishment,” “righteous vengeance.”—

So that you might grow tired of the words “reward,” “payback,” “punishment,” “righteous revenge.”

That ye might become weary of saying: “That an action is good is because it is unselfish.”

So that you might grow tired of saying: “An action is good because it is unselfish.”

Ah! my friends! That YOUR very Self be in your action, as the mother is in the child: let that be YOUR formula of virtue!

Ah, my friends! Let your very self be in your action, as a mother is in her child. Let that be your formula for virtue!

Verily, I have taken from you a hundred formulae and your virtue’s favourite playthings; and now ye upbraid me, as children upbraid.

Truly, I have taken a hundred formulas and your virtue’s favorite toys from you. And now you scold me like children.

They played by the sea—then came there a wave and swept their playthings into the deep: and now do they cry.

They were playing by the sea when a wave came and swept their toys into the deep. Now they are crying.

But the same wave shall bring them new playthings, and spread before them new speckled shells!

But the same wave will bring them new toys and scatter new speckled shells before them!

Thus will they be comforted; and like them shall ye also, my friends, have your comforting—and new speckled shells!—

That is how they will be comforted. And like them, my friends, you too will be comforted and have new speckled shells!

Thus spake Zarathustra.

This is what Zarathustra said.