Page:Thus Spake Zarathustra - Alexander Tille - 1896.djvu/184

 I5O THUS SPAKE ZARATHUSTRA, II

Be not angry with me, ye beautiful dancers, if I chastise a little the tiny God! True, he will prob- ably cry and weep; but even when weeping he causeth laughter!

And with tears in his eyes shall he ask you for a dance ; and I myself shall sing a song unto his dance :

A dance-song and a mocking song directed unto the spirit of gravity, my very highest and most power- ful devil, whom they call ' the master of the world.' "

And this is the song sung by Zarathustra, when Cupid and the girls danced together :

"Of late I looked into thine eye, O life! And I seemed unto myself to sink into what is impenetrable.

But thou drewest me out of it with thy golden hook. Mockingly thou laughedst when I called thee impenetrable.

'This is the speech of all fish,' saidst thou. 'What they do not penetrate is impenetrable.

But I am only changeable and wild and a woman in all respects, and not a virtuous one

Although I am called by you men " the deep one " or "the faithful one" or "the eternal one" or "the mysterious one."

But ye men always present us with your own virt- ues. Alas, ye virtuous ! '

Thus she laughed, the incredible one. But I never believe her or her laughter when she speaketh badly of herself.

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