



'Tis night: now do all gushing fountains speak louder. And my soul alsois a gushing fountain.
'Tis night: now only do all songs of the loving ones awake. And my soulalso is the song of a loving one.
Something unappeased, unappeasable, is within me; it longeth to findexpression. A craving for love is within me, which speaketh itself thelanguage of love.
Light am I: ah, that I were night! But it is my lonesomeness to be begirtwith light!
Ah, that I were dark and nightly! How would I suck at the breasts oflight!
And you yourselves would I bless, ye twinkling starlets and glow-wormsaloft!--and would rejoice in the gifts of your light.
But I live in mine own light, I drink again into myself the flames thatbreak forth from me.
I know not the happiness of the receiver; and oft have I dreamt thatstealing must be more blessed than receiving.
It is my poverty that my hand never ceaseth bestowing; it is mine envy thatI see waiting eyes and the brightened nights of longing.
Oh, the misery of all bestowers! Oh, the darkening of my sun! Oh, thecraving to crave! Oh, the violent hunger in satiety!
They take from me: but do I yet touch their soul? There is a gap 'twixtgiving and receiving; and the smallest gap hath finally to be bridged over.
A hunger ariseth out of my beauty: I should like to injure those Iillumine; I should like to rob those I have gifted:--thus do I hunger forwickedness.
Withdrawing my hand when another hand already stretcheth out to it;hesitating like the cascade, which hesitateth even in its leap:--thus do Ihunger for wickedness!
Such revenge doth mine abundance think of: such mischief welleth out of mylonesomeness.
My happiness in bestowing died in bestowing; my virtue became weary ofitself by its abundance!
He who ever bestoweth is in danger of losing his shame; to him who everdispenseth, the hand and heart become callous by very dispensing.
Mine eye no longer overfloweth for the shame of suppliants; my hand hathbecome too hard for the trembling of filled hands.
Whence have gone the tears of mine eye, and the down of my heart? Oh, thelonesomeness of all bestowers! Oh, the silence of all shining ones!
Many suns circle in desert space: to all that is dark do they speak withtheir light--but to me they are silent.
Oh, this is the hostility of light to the shining one: unpityingly doth itpursue its course.
Unfair to the shining one in its innermost heart, cold to the suns:--thustravelleth every sun.
Like a storm do the suns pursue their courses: that is their travelling.Their inexorable will do they follow: that is their coldness.
Oh, ye only is it, ye dark, nightly ones, that extract warmth from theshining ones! Oh, ye only drink milk and refreshment from the light'sudders!
Ah, there is ice around me; my hand burneth with the iciness! Ah, there isthirst in me; it panteth after your thirst!
'Tis night: alas, that I have to be light! And thirst for the nightly!And lonesomeness!
'Tis night: now doth my longing break forth in me as a fountain,--forspeech do I long.
'Tis night: now do all gushing fountains speak louder. And my soul alsois a gushing fountain.
'Tis night: now do all songs of loving ones awake. And my soul also isthe song of a loving one.--
Thus sang Zarathustra.