The spirit and virtue of thy master shall advance by thou being his servant: thus wilt thou thyself advance with his spirit and virtue!’

And verily, ye famous wise ones, ye servants of the people! Ye yourselves have advanced with the people’s spirit and virtue — and the people by you! To your honour do I say it!

But the people ye remain for me, even with your virtues, the people with purblind eyes — the people who know not what spirit is!

Spirit is life which itself cutteth into life; by its own torture doth it increase its own knowledge — did ye know that before?

And the spirit’s happiness is this: to be anointed and consecrated with tears as a sacrificial victim — did ye know that before?

And the blindness of the blind one, and his seeking and groping, shall yet testify to the power of the sun into which he hath gazed — did ye know that before?

And with mountains shall the discerning one learn to build! It is a small thing for the spirit to remove mountains — did ye know that before?

Ye know only the sparks of the spirit; but ye do not see the anvil which it is, and the cruelty of its hammer!

Verily, ye know not the spirit’s pride! But still less could ye endure the spirit’s humility, should it ever want to speak!

And never yet could ye cast your spirit into a pit of snow; ye are not hot enough for that! Thus are ye unaware, also, of the delight of its coldness.

In all respects, however, ye make too familiar with the spirit; and out of wisdom have ye often made an almshouse and a hospital for bad poets.

Ye are not eagles: thus have ye never experienced the happiness of the alarm of the spirit. And he who is not a bird should not camp above abysses.

Ye seem to me lukewarm ones; but coldly floweth all deep knowledge. Ice-cold are the innermost wells of the spirit, a refreshment to hot hands and handlers.

Respectable do ye there stand, and stiff, and with straight backs, ye famous wise ones! No strong wind or will impelleth you.

Have ye ne’er seen a sail crossing the sea, rounded and inflated, and trembling with the violence of the wind?

Like the sail trembling with the violence of the spirit, doth my wisdom cross the sea — my wild wisdom!

But ye servants of the people, ye famous wise ones — how could ye go with me!

Thus spake Zarathustra.