The Hammer Speaks

“Why so hard!”—said the diamond once unto the charcoal; “are we then not next of kin?”

“Why so hard!” the diamond once said to the charcoal. “Aren’t we close relatives?”

“Why so soft? O my brethren; this is my question to you. For are ye not—my brothers?

“Why are you so soft, my brothers? That is my question to you. For aren't you my brothers?

“Why so soft, so servile and yielding? Why are your hearts so fond of denial and self-denial? How is it that so little fate looketh out from your eyes?

“Why are you so soft, so servile and yielding? Why do your hearts love denial and self-denial so much? Why does so little fate look out from your eyes?

“And if ye will not be men of fate and inexorable, how can ye hope one day to conquer with me?

“And if you will not be men of destiny and remain unyielding, how can you hope to conquer with me one day?

“And if your hardness will not sparkle, cut and divide, how can ye hope one day to create with me?

“And if your hardness will not sparkle, cut, and divide, how can you hope to create with me one day?

“For all creators are hard. And it must seem to you blessed to stamp your hand upon millenniums as upon wax,—

“For all creators are hard. And you must feel blessed to leave your handprint on millennia as if they were wax,”

—Blessed to write upon the will of millenniums as upon brass,—harder than brass, nobler than brass.—Hard through and through is only the noblest.

Blessed is the one who writes on the will of millennia as if on brass, harder and nobler than brass. Only the noblest are hard through and through.

This new table of values, O my brethren, I set over your heads: Become hard.”

My brothers, I place this new table of values above your heads: Become hard.”

—“Thus Spake Zarathustra,”

“Thus Spoke Zarathustra,”

III., 29.

III., 29.