Page:Thus Spake Zarathustra - Alexander Tille - 1896.djvu/470

 436 THUS SPAKE ZARATHUSTRA, IV

How once thou thirstedst

For heavenly tears and the dropping of dew,

How thou thirstedst, scorched and weary,

Whilst on yellow grass-paths

Wicked evening-like sun-glances

Ran round thee through black trees,

Blinding malicious glances of sun-glow ?

' The suitor of truth ? Thou ? ' Thus they mocked.

' Nay ! Merely a poet !

An animal, a cunning, preying, stealing one,

Which must lie,

Which must lie, consciously, voluntarily,

Longing for prey,

Disguised in many colours,

A mask unto itself,

A prey unto itself.

That the suitor of truth?

Only a fool ! a poet !

Only a speaker in many colours,

Speaking in many colours out of fools' masks,

Stalking about on deceitful word bridges,

On deceitful rain-bows,

Between false heavens

Wandering, stealing about

Only a fool ! a poet !

That the suitor of truth? Not still, numb, smooth, cold,

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