I translated this once before, the intended ending to Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra. With spring sprung, I felt the vitality to translate it afresh.
Take care, Caretakers!
THE SEVEN SEALS: The Yes and Amen Song
(From Nietzsche's Zarathustra, a fresh translation by Daniel Christopher June)
1. If I am the prophet, full of the prophetic, bridging ocean to ocean, heaven's cloud bridging past and future, a foe to sultry plateaus, where abides those too weary to live or die -- my dark bosom eager for lightning's eager flash of redemption, pregnant with bolts that shout YES! that laugh YES! prophetic bolts of white bright lightning -- blessed this pregnancy! Long must I haunt mountains like a black cloak, I who shall deliver the kindling light of tomorrow: Oh! How can I but lust for Eternity, for the nuptial ring of rings, the Ring of Return!
For never have I met the woman worthy of my children, lest she be you, woman of my love: For I love you, O Eternity!
FOR I LOVE YOU, O ETERNITY!
2. If ever my wrath burst tombs, budged boundaries stones, broke tablets, and rolled them deep into the steeped depths; if every my mocking laugh dashed moldy words into the whispering wind, as I swept as a broom across the cross-marked spiders, and swept as a gust through moldy tombs; if ever I perched jubilant over old God's corpse – I, world-blessing; I, world-loving; laughing above the monument of world-slanderers -- for I adore churches and the tombs of gods once heaven gazes through their broken roofs with his purest eye; and I, like grass and poppies, perch on broken churches: Oh! How can I but lust for Eternity, for the nuptial ring of rings, the Ring of Return!
For never have I met the woman worthy of my children, lest she be you, woman of my love: For I love you, O Eternity!
FOR I LOVE YOU, O ETERNITY!
3. If ever one breath I breathed of inspiring breath, of heavenly necessity which bids even accidents dance their starry dances; if ever I laughed the laughter of inspiring lightning, followed by the grumbling obedience of the long-drawn thunder of the dead; if ever I threw dice with gods at the table of gods, as earth quaked and burst and snorted fiery floods -- for the earth is the gods' table, and trembles with inspiring new words, the throw of the gods: Oh! How can I but lust for Eternity, for the nuptial ring of rings, the Ring of Return!
For never have I met the woman worthy of my children, lest she be you, woman of my love: For I love you, O Eternity!
FOR I LOVE YOU, O ETERNITY!
4. If ever I downed drafts of foaming spiced mugs which blend all things; if ever my hand mixed farthest to near, fire to spirit, joy to pain, wicked to grace; if I myself am the grain of redeeming salt which blends all together in the spice-blended mug -- for such a salt blends good and evil, and even the blackest evil is fit spice for the great foaming over: Oh! How can I but lust for Eternity, for the nuptial ring of rings, the Ring of Return!
For never have I met the woman worthy of my children, lest she be you, woman of my love: For I love you, O Eternity!
FOR I LOVE YOU, O ETERNITY!
5. If I love ocean, and all ocean's kind, and love most when her fury scolds me; if the joy in searching which drives sails to search the unknown laughs also in me, if the seaman's joy is also my joy; if every my heart cried, "The Coast has gone, the last chain fallen from me! the boundless roars about me, space and time glisten, so laugh, Old Heart!" Oh! How can I but lust for Eternity, for the nuptial ring of rings, the Ring of Return!
For never have I met the woman worthy of my children, lest she be you, woman of my love: For I love you, O Eternity!
FOR I LOVE YOU, O ETERNITY!
6. If my virtue is the dancer's virtue, if I oft leap with both feet into golden delight; if my sarcasm is laughing sarcasm, home under rosy slopes, and hedges of lily -- for in laughter all evil melds, and, pronounced holy, absolves into bliss; if this is my alpha omega, which lightens 'heavy' and 'grave'; all body is dancer, all spirit is bird -- if yes! that's my alpha omega: Oh! How can I but lust for Eternity, for the nuptial ring of rings, the Ring of Return!
For never have I met the woman worthy of my children, lest she be you, woman of my love: For I love you, O Eternity!
FOR I LOVE YOU, O ETERNITY!
7. If ever I spread tranquil heavens above, and soared my wings through those heaves; if I swam playfully in the deepest distance, and freedom's bird-wisdom alighted my brow -- but bird-wisdom speaks: "Behold, there is no above, no below! Throw yourself in every direction, you who are light! Sing! Speak no more, but sing! Are not all words heavy and grave? Are not all words lies to us light ones? Sing! Speak no more!" Oh! How can I but lust for Eternity, for the nuptial ring of rings, the Ring of Return!
For never have I met the woman worthy of my children, lest she be you, woman of my love: For I love you, O Eternity!
FOR I LOVE YOU, O ETERNITY!
-- R ᴤ88s Я --
Perfection Is Easy
