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~ Historical & Classical Poetry ~

Thus Spake Zarathrustra (... to Odin ?)
Adapted from ch. 65: The Magician


Now lightning-struck by thee,
Thou mocking eye that me in darkness watcheth:
-Thus do I lie,
With all eternal torture,
And smitten
By thee, cruellest huntsman,
Thou unfamiliar- God...

Smite deeper!
Smite yet once more!
Pierce through and rend my heart!
What mean'th this torture
With dull, indented arrows?
Why look'st thou hither,
Of human pain not weary,
With mischief-loving, godly flash-glances?

Speak finally!
Thou lightning-veiled one! Thou unknown one! Speak!
What wilt thou, highway-ambusher, from- me?
What wilt thou, unfamiliar- God?
What?
Ransom-gold?
How much of ransom-gold?

Ha! Ha!
Me- wantst thou? me?
-Entire?...

Give, yield to me,
Cruellest foe,
-Thyself!- -

Away!
There fled he surely,
My final, only comrade,
My greatest foe,
Mine unfamiliar-
My hangman-God!...

-Nay!
Come thou back!
With all of thy great tortures!
To me the last of lonesome ones,
Oh, come thou back!
Mine unfamiliar God! my pain!
My final bliss!

Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher (1844-1900), translated by Thomas Common (1850–1919)

Note: This is my adaptation of ch. 65; I´ve cut out about half of the passages and some single lines according to my gusto.
The passages remaining are unchanged and in proper order. Complete translation. Find out more about Nietzsche.