1 of 7 in Chapter LX. THE SEVEN SEALS431 of 593 in work
Now entering Chapter LX. THE SEVEN SEALS
The Prophet's Heavy Cloud
Friedrich Nietzsche
Thus Spake Zarathustra

The author describes the lonely, pregnant silence of the visionary who waits like a heavy storm cloud on a mountain, ready to ignite the future with the 'lightning' of a new affirmation.

...3. One! O man! Take heed! Two! What saith deep midnight’s voice indeed? Three! “I slept my sleep— Four! “From deepest dream I’ve woke and plead:— Five! “The world is deep, Six! “And deeper than the day could read. Seven! “Deep is its woe— Eight! “Joy—deeper still than grief can be: Nine! “Woe saith: Hence! Go! Ten! “But joys all want eternity— Eleven! “Want deep profound eternity!” Twelve! LX. THE SEVEN SEALS. (OR THE YE-A AND AMEN LAY.) 1.
If I be a diviner and full of the divining spirit which wandereth on high mountain-ridges, ‘twixt two seas,— Wandereth ‘twixt the past and the future as a heavy cloud—hostile to sultry plains, and to all that is weary and can neither die nor live: Ready for lightning in its dark bosom, and for the redeeming flash of light, charged with lightnings which say Yea! which laugh Yea! ready for divining flashes of lightning:— —Blessed, however, is he who is thus charged! And verily, long must he hang like a heavy tempest on the mountain, who shall one day kindle the light of the future!— Oh, how could I not be ardent for Eternity and for the…
Never yet have I found the woman by whom I should like to have children, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love thee, O Eternity! FOR I LOVE THEE, O ETERNITY! 2. If ever my wrath hath burst graves, shifted landmarks, or rolled old shattered tables into precipitous depths: If ever my scorn hath scattered mouldered words to the winds, and if I have come like a besom to cross-spiders, and as a cleansing wind to old charnel-houses: If ever I have sat rejoicing where old Gods lie buri...
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2 of 7 in Chapter LX. THE SEVEN SEALS432 of 593 in work
Wrath's Creative Destruction
Friedrich Nietzsche
Thus Spake Zarathustra

A vision of iconoclasm where the author rejoices in the destruction of old values and 'Gods'-graves,' finding beauty in ruins that allow the pure sky to look through.

...ch laugh Yea! ready for divining flashes of lightning:— —Blessed, however, is he who is thus charged! And verily, long must he hang like a heavy tempest on the mountain, who shall one day kindle the light of the future!— Oh, how could I not be ardent for Eternity and for the marriage-ring of rings—the ring of the return? Never yet have I found the woman by whom I should like to have children, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love thee, O Eternity! FOR I LOVE THEE, O ETERNITY! 2.
If ever my wrath hath burst graves, shifted landmarks, or rolled old shattered tables into precipitous depths: If ever my scorn hath scattered mouldered words to the winds, and if I have come like a besom to cross-spiders, and as a cleansing wind to old charnel-houses: If ever I have sat rejoicing where old Gods lie buried, world-blessing, world-loving, beside the monuments of old world-maligners:— —For even churches and Gods’-graves do I love, if only heaven looketh through their ruined roofs with pure eyes; gladly do I sit like grass and red poppies on ruined churches— Oh, how could I not be ardent for Eternity, and for the marriage-ring of rings—the ring of the return?
Never yet have I found the woman by whom I should like to have children, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love thee, O Eternity! FOR I LOVE THEE, O ETERNITY! 3. If ever a breath hath come to me of the creative breath, and of the heavenly necessity which compelleth even chances to dance star-dances: If ever I have laughed with the laughter of the creative lightning, to which the long thunder of the deed followeth, grumblingly, but obediently: If ever I have played dice with the G...
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3 of 7 in Chapter LX. THE SEVEN SEALS433 of 593 in work
The Creative Compulsion
Friedrich Nietzsche
Thus Spake Zarathustra

The author expresses a profound, ecstatic affirmation of existence and the creative power of chance, culminating in a passionate longing for the 'Eternal Return.'

...side the monuments of old world-maligners:— —For even churches and Gods’-graves do I love, if only heaven looketh through their ruined roofs with pure eyes; gladly do I sit like grass and red poppies on ruined churches— Oh, how could I not be ardent for Eternity, and for the marriage-ring of rings—the ring of the return? Never yet have I found the woman by whom I should like to have children, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love thee, O Eternity! FOR I LOVE THEE, O ETERNITY! 3.
If ever a breath hath come to me of the creative breath, and of the heavenly necessity which compelleth even chances to dance star-dances: If ever I have laughed with the laughter of the creative lightning, to which the long thunder of the deed followeth, grumblingly, but obediently: If ever I have played dice with the Gods at the divine table of the earth, so that the earth quaked and ruptured, and snorted forth fire-streams:— —For a divine table is the earth, and trembling with new creative dictums and dice-casts of the Gods: Oh, how could I not be ardent for Eternity, and for the marriage-ring of rings—the ring of the return?
Never yet have I found the woman by whom I should like to have children, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love thee, O Eternity! FOR I LOVE THEE, O ETERNITY! 4. If ever I have drunk a full draught of the foaming spice- and confection-bowl in which all things are well mixed: If ever my hand hath mingled the furthest with the nearest, fire with spirit, joy with sorrow, and the harshest with the kindest: If I myself am a grain of the saving salt which maketh everything in the confe...
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4 of 7 in Chapter LX. THE SEVEN SEALS434 of 593 in work
Love for Eternity
Friedrich Nietzsche
Thus Spake Zarathustra

A confession of the author's love for Eternity and the concept of the Eternal Return, viewing even evil as a necessary spice in the mixture of existence.

...th the Gods at the divine table of the earth, so that the earth quaked and ruptured, and snorted forth fire-streams:— —For a divine table is the earth, and trembling with new creative dictums and dice-casts of the Gods: Oh, how could I not be ardent for Eternity, and for the marriage-ring of rings—the ring of the return? Never yet have I found the woman by whom I should like to have children, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love thee, O Eternity! FOR I LOVE THEE, O ETERNITY! 4.
If ever I have drunk a full draught of the foaming spice- and confection-bowl in which all things are well mixed: If ever my hand hath mingled the furthest with the nearest, fire with spirit, joy with sorrow, and the harshest with the kindest: If I myself am a grain of the saving salt which maketh everything in the confection-bowl mix well:— —For there is a salt which uniteth good with evil; and even the evilest is worthy, as spicing and as final over-foaming:— Oh, how could I not be ardent for Eternity, and for the marriage-ring of rings—the ring of the return? Never yet have I found the woman by whom I should like to have children, unless…
FOR I LOVE THEE, O ETERNITY! 5. If I be fond of the sea, and all that is sealike, and fondest of it when it angrily contradicteth me: If the exploring delight be in me, which impelleth sails to the undiscovered, if the seafarer’s delight be in my delight: If ever my rejoicing hath called out: “The shore hath vanished,—now hath fallen from me the last chain— The boundless roareth around me, far away sparkle for me space and time,—well! cheer up! old heart!”— Oh, how could I not be ardent...
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5 of 7 in Chapter LX. THE SEVEN SEALS435 of 593 in work
The Boundless Sea
Friedrich Nietzsche
Thus Spake Zarathustra

A metaphorical vision of the soul as a seafarer who rejoices when the shore vanishes, embracing the boundless and the 'marriage-ring' of eternity.

...I myself am a grain of the saving salt which maketh everything in the confection-bowl mix well:— —For there is a salt which uniteth good with evil; and even the evilest is worthy, as spicing and as final over-foaming:— Oh, how could I not be ardent for Eternity, and for the marriage-ring of rings—the ring of the return? Never yet have I found the woman by whom I should like to have children, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love thee, O Eternity! FOR I LOVE THEE, O ETERNITY! 5.
If I be fond of the sea, and all that is sealike, and fondest of it when it angrily contradicteth me: If the exploring delight be in me, which impelleth sails to the undiscovered, if the seafarer’s delight be in my delight: If ever my rejoicing hath called out: “The shore hath vanished,—now hath fallen from me the last chain— The boundless roareth around me, far away sparkle for me space and time,—well! cheer up! old heart!”— Oh, how could I not be ardent for Eternity, and for the marriage-ring of rings—the ring of the return? Never yet have I found the woman by whom I should like to have children, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I…
FOR I LOVE THEE, O ETERNITY! 6. If my virtue be a dancer’s virtue, and if I have often sprung with both feet into golden-emerald rapture: If my wickedness be a laughing wickedness, at home among rose-banks and hedges of lilies: —For in laughter is all evil present, but it is sanctified and absolved by its own bliss:— And if it be my Alpha and Omega that everything heavy shall become light, every body a dancer, and every spirit a bird: and verily, that is my Alpha and Omega!— Oh, how coul...
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