Page:Thus Spake Zarathustra - Alexander Tille - 1896.djvu/443

 SALUTATION

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��us thy hand and greeting, we know thee to be Zara- thustra. Thou didst humble thyself in our presence. Thou didst almost wound our reverence for thee.

But who could, like thee, humble himself with such pride ? That uplifteth even us ; a refreshment is it unto our eyes and hearts.

To behold this alone, we would gladly ascend higher mounts than this mount is. For we have come as eager sight-seers, we longed to see what maketh dim eyes bright.

And behold, all our crying for help is past. Our sense and heart stand open and are enraptured. Little is lacking for our courage to become wanton.

Nothing more agreeable, O Zarathustra, groweth on earth than a high, strong will. It is the most beautiful product of earth. A whole landscape is refreshed by one tree like that.

With the pine, O Zarathustra, I compare him who groweth up like thee : tall, silent, hard, alone, of the best and most flexible wood, magnificent

And who at last graspeth with strong, green boughs after his own dominion, asking strong questions in presence of winds and thunderstorms, and whatever is at home on heights

And who giveth stronger answers, a commander, a victorious one ! Oh ! who would not ascend high mounts in order to see such products ?

In thy tree, O Zarathustra, even the gloomy one,

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