查拉图斯特拉如是说 英文版 Thus Spake Zarathustra
尼采 Friedrich Nietzsche
LXXVIII. The Ass-Festival.
1.
At this place in the litany, however, Zarathustra could no longer controlhimself; he himself cried out YE-A, louder even than the ass, and spranginto the midst of his maddened guests. "Whatever are you about, ye grown-up children?" he exclaimed, pulling up the praying ones from the ground."Alas, if any one else, except Zarathustra, had seen you:
Every one would think you the worst blasphemers, or the very foolishest oldwomen, with your new belief!
And thou thyself, thou old pope, how is it in accordance with thee, toadore an ass in such a manner as God?"--
"O Zarathustra," answered the pope, "forgive me, but in divine matters I ammore enlightened even than thou. And it is right that it should be so.
Better to adore God so, in this form, than in no form at all! Think overthis saying, mine exalted friend: thou wilt readily divine that in such asaying there is wisdom.
He who said 'God is a Spirit'--made the greatest stride and slide hithertomade on earth towards unbelief: such a dictum is not easily amended againon earth!
Mine old heart leapeth and boundeth because there is still something toadore on earth. Forgive it, O Zarathustra, to an old, pious pontiff-heart!--"
--"And thou," said Zarathustra to the wanderer and shadow, "thou callestand thinkest thyself a free spirit? And thou here practisest such idolatryand hierolatry?
Worse verily, doest thou here than with thy bad brown girls, thou bad, newbeliever!"
"It is sad enough," answered the wanderer and shadow, "thou art right: buthow can I help it! The old God liveth again, O Zarathustra, thou mayst saywhat thou wilt.
The ugliest man is to blame for it all: he hath reawakened him. And if hesay that he once killed him, with Gods DEATH is always just a prejudice."
--"And thou," said Zarathustra, "thou bad old magician, what didst thou do!Who ought to believe any longer in thee in this free age, when THOUbelievest in such divine donkeyism?
It was a stupid thing that thou didst; how couldst thou, a shrewd man, dosuch a stupid thing!"
"O Zarathustra," answered the shrewd magician, "thou art right, it was astupid thing,--it was also repugnant to me."
--"And thou even," said Zarathustra to the spiritually conscientious one,"consider, and put thy finger to thy nose! Doth nothing go against thyconscience here? Is thy spirit not too cleanly for this praying and thefumes of those devotees?"
"There is something therein," said the spiritually conscientious one, andput his finger to his nose, "there is something in this spectacle whicheven doeth good to my conscience.
Perhaps I dare not believe in God: certain it is however, that God seemethto me most worthy of belief in this form.
God is said to be eternal, according to the testimony of the most pious:he who hath so much time taketh his time. As slow and as stupid aspossible: THEREBY can such a one nevertheless go very far.
And he who hath too much spirit might well become infatuated with stupidityand folly. Think of thyself, O Zarathustra!
Thou thyself--verily! even thou couldst well become an ass throughsuperabundance of wisdom.
Doth not the true sage willingly walk on the crookedest paths? Theevidence teacheth it, O Zarathustra,--THINE OWN evidence!"
--"And thou thyself, finally," said Zarathustra, and turned towards theugliest man, who still lay on the ground stretching up his arm to the ass(for he gave it wine to drink). "Say, thou nondescript, what hast thoubeen about!
Thou seemest to me transformed, thine eyes glow, the mantle of the sublimecovereth thine ugliness: WHAT didst thou do?
Is it then true what they say, that thou hast again awakened him? And why?Was he not for good reasons killed and made away with?
Thou thyself seemest to me awakened: what didst thou do? why didst THOUturn round? Why didst THOU get converted? Speak, thou nondescript!"
"O Zarathustra," answered the ugliest man, "thou art a rogue!
Whether HE yet liveth, or again liveth, or is thoroughly dead--which of usboth knoweth that best? I ask thee.
One thing however do I know,--from thyself did I learn it once, OZarathustra: he who wanteth to kill most thoroughly, LAUGHETH.
'Not by wrath but by laughter doth one kill'--thus spakest thou once, OZarathustra, thou hidden one, thou destroyer without wrath, thou dangeroussaint,--thou art a rogue!"
2.
Then, however, did it come to pass that Zarathustra, astonished at suchmerely roguish answers, jumped back to the door of his cave, and turningtowards all his guests, cried out with a strong voice:
"O ye wags, all of you, ye buffoons! Why do ye dissemble and disguiseyourselves before me!
How the hearts of all of you convulsed with delight and wickedness, becauseye had at last become again like little children--namely, pious,--
--Because ye at last did again as children do--namely, prayed, folded yourhands and said 'good God'!
But now leave, I pray you, THIS nursery, mine own cave, where to-day allchildishness is carried on. Cool down, here outside, your hot child-wantonness and heart-tumult!
To be sure: except ye become as little children ye shall not enter intoTHAT kingdom of heaven." (And Zarathustra pointed aloft with his hands.)
"But we do not at all want to enter into the kingdom of heaven: we havebecome men,--SO WE WANT THE KINGDOM OF EARTH."
3.
And once more began Zarathustra to speak. "O my new friends," said he,--"ye strange ones, ye higher men, how well do ye now please me,--
--Since ye have again become joyful! Ye have, verily, all blossomed forth:it seemeth to me that for such flowers as you, NEW FESTIVALS are required.
--A little valiant nonsense, some divine service and ass-festival, some oldjoyful Zarathustra fool, some blusterer to blow your souls bright.
Forget not this night and this ass-festival, ye higher men! THAT did yedevise when with me, that do I take as a good omen,--such things only theconvalescents devise!
And should ye celebrate it again, this ass-festival, do it from love toyourselves, do it also from love to me! And in remembrance of me!"
Thus spake Zarathustra.