THE BESTOWING VIRTUE

When Zarathustra had taken leave of the town to which his heart was attached, the name of which is "The Pied Cow," there followed him many people who called themselves his disciples, and kept him company. Thus came they to a crossroads. Then Zarathustra told them that he now wanted to go alone; for he was fond of going alone. His disciples, however, presented him at his departure with a staff, on the golden handle of which a serpent twined round the sun. Zarathustra rejoiced on account of the staff, and supported himself thereon; then spoke he thus to his disciples:

Tell me, pray: how came gold to the highest value? Because it is uncommon, and unprofiting, and beaming, and soft in lustre; it always bestows itself.

Only as image of the highest virtue came gold to the highest value. Goldlike, beams the glance of the bestower. Gold-lustre makes peace between moon and sun.

Uncommon is the highest virtue, and unprofiting, beaming is it, and soft of lustre: a bestowing virtue is the highest virtue.

Truly, I divine you well, my disciples: you strive like me for the bestowing virtue. What should you have in common with cats and wolves? It is your thirst to become sacrifices and gifts yourselves: and therefore have you the thirst to accumulate all riches in your soul.

Insatiably strives your soul for treasures and jewels, because your virtue is insatiable in desiring to bestow.

You constrain all things to flow towards you and into you, so that they shall flow back again out of your fountain as the gifts of your love.

Truly, an appropriator of all values must such bestowing love become; but healthy and holy, call I this selfishness.-

Another selfishness is there, an all-too-poor and hungry kind, which would always steal - the selfishness of the sick, the sickly selfishness. With the eye of the thief it looks upon all that is lustrous; with the craving of hunger it measures him who has abundance; and ever does it prowl round the tables of bestowers.

Sickness speaks in such craving, and invisible degeneration; of a sicklybody, speaks the larcenous craving of this selfishness.

Tell me, my brother, what do we think bad, and worst of all? Is it not degeneration? - And we always suspect degeneration when the bestowing soul is lacking.

Upward goes our course from genera on to super-genera. But a horror to us is the degenerating sense, which says: "All for myself."

Upward soars our sense: thus is it a simile of our body, a simile of an elevation. Such similes of elevations are the names of the virtues.

Thus goes the body through history, a becomer and fighter. And the spirit - what is it to the body? Its fights' and victories' herald, its companion and echo.

Similes, are all names of good and evil; they do not speak out, they only hint. A fool who seeks knowledge from them!

Give heed, my brothers, to every hour when your spirit would speak in similes: there is the origin of your virtue.

Elevated is then your body, and raised up; with its delight, enraptures it the spirit; so that it becomes creator, and valuer, and lover, and everything's benefactor.

When your heart overflows broad and full like the river, a blessing and a danger to the lowlanders: there is the origin of your virtue.

When you are exalted above praise and blame, and your will would command all things, as a loving one's will: there is the origin of your virtue.

When you despise pleasant things, and the effeminate couch, and can not couch far enough from the effeminate: there is the origin of your virtue.

When you are willers of one will, and when that change of every need is needful to you: there is the origin of your virtue.

Truly, a new good and evil is it! Truly, a new deep murmuring, and the voice of a new fountain!

Power is it, this new virtue; a ruling thought is it, and around it a subtle soul: a golden sun, with the serpent of knowledge around it.

Here paused Zarathustra awhile, and looked lovingly on his disciples. Then he continued to speak thus - and his voice had changed:

Remain true to the earth, my brothers, with the power of your virtue! Let your bestowing love and your knowledge be devoted to be the meaning of the earth! Thus do I pray and appeal to you.

Let it not fly away from the earthly and beat against eternal walls with its wings! Ah, there has always been so much flown-away virtue!

Lead, like me, the flown-away virtue back to the earth - yes, back to body and life: that it may give to the earth its meaning, a human meaning!

A hundred times thus far has spirit as well as virtue flown away and blundered. Alas. in our body dwells still all this delusion and blundering: body and will has it there become.

A hundred times thus far has spirit as well as virtue attempted and erred. Yes, an attempt has man been. Alas, much ignorance and error has become embodied in us!

Not only the rationality of millennia - also their madness, breaks out in us. Dangerous is it to be an heir.

Still fight we step by step with the giant Chance, and over all mankind has thus far ruled nonsense, the lack-of-sense.

Let your spirit and your virtue be devoted to the sense of the earth, my brothers: let the value of everything be determined anew by you! There- fore shall you be fighters! Therefore shall you be creators!

Intelligently does the body purify itself; attempting with intelligence it exalts itself; to the discerners all impulses sanctify themselves; to the exalted the soul becomes joyful.

Physician, heal yourself: then will you also heal your patient. Let it be his best cure to see with his eyes him who makes himself whole.

A thousand paths are there which have never yet been trodden; a thousand salubrities and hidden islands of life. Unexhausted and undiscovered is still man and man's world.

Awake and listen, you lonesome ones! From the future come winds with stealthy pinions, and to fine ears good tidings are proclaimed.

You lonesome ones of today, you seceding ones, you shall one day be a people: out of you who have chosen yourselves, shall a chosen people arise: - and out of it the overman.

Truly, a place of healing shall the earth become! And already is a new odor diffused around it, a salvation-bringing odor - and a new hope!

When Zarathustra had spoken these words, he paused, like one who had not said his last word; and long did he balance the staff doubtfully in his hand. At last he spoke thus - and his voice had changed:

I now go alone, my disciples! you also now go away, and alone! So will I have it.

Truly, I advise you: depart from me, and guard yourselves against Zarathustra! And better still: be ashamed of him! Perhaps he has deceived you.

The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies, but also to hate his friends.

One pays back a teacher badly if one remain merely a scholar. And why will you not pluck at my wreath?

You venerate me; but what if your veneration should some day collapse? Take heed lest a statue crush you!

You say, you believe in Zarathustra? But of what account is Zarathustra! you are my believers: but of what account are all believers!

You had not yet sought yourselves: then did you find me. So do all believers; therefore all belief is of so little account.

Now do I bid you lose me and find yourselves; and only when you have all denied me, will I return to you.

Truly, with other eyes, my brothers, shall I then seek my lost ones; with another love shall I then love you.

And once again shall you have become friends to me, and children of one hope: then will I be with you for the third time, to celebrate the great noontide with you.

And it is the great noontide, when man is in the middle of his course between animal and overman, and celebrates his advance to the evening as his highest hope: for it is the advance to a new morning.

At such time will the down-goer bless himself, that he should be an over-goer; and the sun of his knowledge will be at noontide.

"Dead are all the Gods: now do we desire the overman to live." - Let this be our final will at the great noontide! -

Thus spoke Zarathustra.