Page:Thus Spake Zarathustra - Alexander Tille - 1896.djvu/438

 404 THUS SPAKE ZARATHUSTRA, IV

unto the heart? Unto the heart! Oh, break, break, heart, after such happiness, after such a sting!

What ? Hath the world not just become perfect ? Round and ripe ? Oh, for the golden round ring ! Whither doth it fly? Run after it! Away!

Hush ! " (And here Zarathustra stretched himself out, feeling that he slept.)

" Up ! " he said unto himself, " thou sleeper ! Thou sleeper at noon ! Up ! up ! ye old legs ! Time it is and only too much time. Many a long stretch of road is still reserved for you !

Now ye have slept your fill. How long ? Half an eternity ! Up ! up ! now, mine old heart ! How long wilt thou, after such a sleep, be allowed to have thy fill of wakefulness ? "

But then he fell asleep afresh, and his soul spake against him, and defended itself, and lay down again. "Oh, let me alone! Hush! Hath not the world be- come perfect this moment ? Oh, for the golden, round ball!

Get up," said Zarathustra, "thou little thief, thou thief of days ! What ! Still longer wilt thou stretch thyself out, yawn, sigh, fall down into deep wells ?

Who art thou ? O my soul ! " (And here he was terrified ; for a sun-beam fell down from the sky upon his face.)

"O sky above me!" said he sighing and sat up- right. "Thou gazest at me? Thou hearkenest unto my strange soul ?

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