Fame and Eternity
Original German
1 WIE lange sitzest du schonauf deinem Mißgeschick?Gieb Acht! du brütest mir nochein Eiein Basilisken-Eiaus deinem langen Jammer aus.
Was schleicht Zarathustra entlang dem Berge? —
Mißtrauisch, geschwürig, düster,ein langer Lauerer —,aber plötzlich, ein Blitz,hell, furchtbar, ein Schlaggen Himmel aus dem Abgrund:— dem Berge selber schüttelt sichdas Eingeweide...
Wo Haß und BlitzstrahlEins ward, ein Fluch —,auf den Bergen haust jetzt Zarathustra’s Zorn,eine Wetterwolke schleicht er seines Wegs.
Verkrieche sich, wer eine letzte Decke hat!In’s Bett mit euch, ihr Zärtlinge!Nun rollen Donner über die Gewölbe,nun zittert, was Gebälk und Mauer ist,nun zucken Blitze und schwefelgelbe Wahrheiten —Zarathustra flucht...
2 DIESE Münze, mit deralle Welt bezahlt,Ruhm —,mit Handschuhen fasse ich diese Münze an,mit Ekel trete ich sie unter mich.
Wer will bezahlt sein?Die Käuflichen...Wer feil steht, greiftmit fetten Händennach diesem Allerwelts-Blechklingklang Ruhm!
— Willst du sie kaufen?Sie sind Alle käuflich.Aber biete Viel!klingle mit vollem Beutel!— du stärkst sie sonst,du stärkst sonst ihre Tugend...
Sie sind Alle tugendhaft.Ruhm und Tugend — das reimt sich.So lange die Welt lebt,zahlt sie Tugend-Geplappermit Ruhm-Geklapper —,die Welt lebt von diesem Lärm...
Vor allen Tugendhaftenwill ich schuldig sein,schuldig heißen mit jeder großen Schuld!Vor allen Ruhms-Schalltrichternwird mein Ehrgeiz zum Wurm —,unter Solchen gelüstet’s mich,der Niedrigste zu sein...
Diese Münze, mit deralle Welt bezahlt,Ruhm —,mit Handschuhen fasse ich diese Münze an,mit Ekel trete ich sie unter mich.
3 STILL! —Von großen Dingen — ich sehe Großes! —soll man schweigenoder groß reden:rede groß, meine entzückte Weisheit!
Ich sehe hinauf —dort rollen Lichtmeere:— oh Nacht, oh Schweigen, oh todtenstiller Lärm!...Ich sehe ein Zeichen —,aus fernsten Fernensinkt langsam funkelnd ein Sternbild gegen mich...
4 HÖCHSTES Gestirn des Seins!Ewiger Bildwerke Tafel!Du kommst zu mir? —Was Keiner erschaut hat,deine stumme Schönheit, —wie? sie flieht vor meinen Blicken nicht?
Schild der Nothwendigkeit!Ewiger Bildwerke Tafel!— aber du weißt es ja:was Alle hassen,was allein ich liebe,daß du ewig bist!daß du nothwendig bist!Meine Liebe entzündetsich ewig nur an der Nothwendigkeit.
Schild der Nothwendigkeit!Höchstes Gestirn des Seins!— das kein Wunsch erreicht,das kein Nein befleckt,ewiges Ja des Seins,ewig bin ich dein Ja:denn ich liebe dich, oh Ewigkeit! — —
Musean translation
A complete machine-assisted Musean translation directly from the German of the 1908 Insel edition, including its concluding poem. This early edition's readings and omissions are retained, not replaced with later critical restorations.
1 HOW long have you been sittingon your misfortune?Take care! You will yet hatch mean egg,a basilisk’s egg,out of your long lament.
Why does Zarathustra creep along the mountain?—
Suspicious, ulcerous, gloomy,long lying in wait—,but suddenly, a lightning flash,bright, terrible, a blowstruck skyward from the abyss:—the mountain’s own entrailsshudder…
Where hatred and lightning boltbecame one, a curse—,Zarathustra’s wrath now haunts the mountains,a thundercloud, he creeps upon his way.
Let anyone with one last blanket crawl beneath it!To bed with you, you tender creatures!Now thunder rolls across the vaults,now every beam and wall is trembling,now lightning flashes and sulfur-yellow truths—Zarathustra curses…
2 THIS coin with whichall the world pays,fame—,I handle this coin with gloves,with disgust I tread it under me.
Who wants to be paid?Those who can be bought…Whoever is for sale reacheswith greasy handsfor this common tinny clatter, fame!
—Do you want to buy them?They can all be bought.But offer plenty!Jingle a full purse!—otherwise you strengthen them,otherwise you strengthen their virtue…
They are all virtuous.Fame and virtue—that rhymes.As long as the world lives,it pays for virtue’s prattlewith fame’s rattle—,the world lives on this noise…
Before all the virtuousI want to be guilty,to be called guilty of every great guilt!Before all the trumpets of famemy ambition turns to a worm—,among such people I longto be the lowest…
This coin with whichall the world pays,fame—,I handle this coin with gloves,with disgust I tread it under me.
3 SILENCE!—Of great things—I see great things!—one should be silentor speak greatly:speak greatly, my enraptured wisdom!
I look up—there seas of light are rolling:—oh night, oh silence, oh deathly silent tumult!…I see a sign—,from the farthest distancesa constellation sinks slowly toward me, sparkling…
4 HIGHEST star of being!Tablet of eternal images!You come to me?—What no one has beheld,your silent beauty—,what? It does not flee my gaze?
Shield of necessity!Tablet of eternal images!—but you know it well:what everyone hates,what I alone love,that you are eternal!that you are necessary!My love is kindledeternally by necessity alone.
Shield of necessity!Highest star of being!—which no wish reaches,which no No defiles,eternal Yes of being,eternally I am your Yes:for I love you, oh eternity!——
Plain English translation
A complete machine-assisted Plain English translation made independently and directly from the same German edition, including its concluding poem. This is the 1908 text, not a modern critical edition.
1 How long have you been sittingon your misfortune?Watch out! You'll hatchan egg for me yet,a basilisk's egg,out of your long misery.
Why is Zarathustra creeping along the mountain?—
Distrustful, covered in sores, gloomy,long lying in wait—,but suddenly, lightning,bright, terrible, a blowfrom the abyss toward the sky:—the mountain's owninsides shake …
Where hatred and a lightning boltbecame one, a curse—,Zarathustra's anger now lives in the mountains;he creeps along his way, a storm cloud.
Let anyone with one last blanket crawl under it!Off to bed, you tender creatures!Now thunder rolls over the vaulted roofs,now every beam and wall trembles,now lightning and sulfur-yellow truths flash—Zarathustra curses …
2 This coin thatthe whole world pays with,fame—,I handle this coin with gloves;I stamp it under my feet in disgust.
Who wants to be paid?Those who can be bought …Anyone for sale reacheswith fat handsfor this cheap, tinny jingle everyone calls fame!
—Do you want to buy them?They can all be bought.But offer plenty!Jingle a full purse!—Otherwise you strengthen them,you strengthen their virtue …
They are all virtuous.Fame and virtue—they rhyme.As long as the world lives,it pays for virtue's babblingwith fame's rattling—,the world lives on this noise …
Before all the virtuousI want to be guilty,to be called guilty of every great wrong!Before all the megaphones of famemy ambition becomes a worm—,among such people I feel the urgeto be the lowest …
This coin thatthe whole world pays with,fame—,I handle this coin with gloves;I stamp it under my feet in disgust.
3 Quiet!—About great things—I see great things!—we should keep silentor speak grandly:speak grandly, my delighted wisdom!
I look up—seas of light roll there:—oh night, oh silence, oh deathly quiet noise! …I see a sign—,from the farthest distancesa sparkling constellation slowly sinks toward me …
4 Highest star of existence!Tablet of eternal images!You are coming to me?—What no one has ever seen,your silent beauty—what? It doesn't flee from my eyes?
Shield of necessity!Tablet of eternal images!—but you already know:what everyone hates,what I alone love,is that you are eternal!that you are necessary!My love is set alightforever by necessity alone.
Shield of necessity!Highest star of existence!—which no wish reaches,which no denial stains,existence's eternal yes,forever I am your yes:because I love you, oh eternity!——
About this section
Fame and Eternity is part of Ecce Homo by Friedrich Nietzsche. This page sets the German original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is chapter 17 of 17 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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