An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 1092 words)
1.
“o not away!” said then the wanderer who called himself Zarathustra’s
shadow, “abide with us—otherwise the old gloomy affliction might again
fall upon us.
Now hath that old magician given us of his worst for our good, and
lo! the good, pious pope there hath tears in his eyes, and hath quite
embarked again upon the sea of melancholy.
Those kings may well put on a good air before us still: for that have
THEY learned best of us all at present! Had they however no one to see
them, I wager that with them also the bad game would again commence,—
—The bad game of drifting clouds, of damp melancholy, of curtained
heavens, of stolen suns, of howling autumn-winds,
—The bad game of our howling and crying for help! Abide with us, O
Zarathustra! Here there is much concealed misery that wisheth to speak,
much evening, much cloud, much damp air!
Thou hast nourished us with strong food for men, and powerful proverbs:
do not let the weakly, womanly spirits attack us anew at dessert!
Thou alone makest the air around thee strong and clear! Did I ever find
anywhere on earth such good air as with thee in thy cave?
Many lands have I seen, my nose hath learned to test and estimate many
kinds of air: but with thee do my nostrils taste their greatest delight!
Unless it be,—unless it be—, do forgive an old recollection! Forgive
me an old after-dinner song, which I once composed amongst daughters of
the desert:—
For with them was there equally good, clear, Oriental air; there was I
furthest from cloudy, damp, melancholy Old-Europe!
Then did I love such Oriental maidens and other blue kingdoms of heaven,
over which hang no clouds and no thoughts.
Ye would not believe how charmingly they sat there, when they did
not dance, profound, but without thoughts, like little secrets, like
beribboned riddles, like dessert-nuts—
Many-hued and foreign, forsooth! but without clouds: riddles which
can be guessed: to please such maidens I then composed an after-dinner
psalm.”
Thus spake the wanderer who called himself Zarathustra’s shadow; and
before any one answered him, he had seized the harp of the old magician,
crossed his legs, and looked calmly and sagely around him:—with his
nostrils, however, he inhaled the air slowly and questioningly, like one
who in new countries tasteth new foreign air. Afterward he began to sing
with a kind of roaring.
2.
THE DESERTS GROW: WOE HIM WHO DOTH THEM HIDE!
—Ha!
Solemnly!
In effect solemnly!
A worthy beginning!
Afric manner, solemnly!
Of a lion worthy,
Or perhaps of a virtuous howl-monkey—
—But it’s naught to you,
Ye friendly damsels dearly loved,
At whose own feet to me,
The first occasion,
To a European under palm-trees,
A seat is now granted. Selah.
Wonderful, truly!
Here do I sit now,
The desert nigh, and yet I am
So far still from the desert,
Even in naught yet deserted:
That is, I’m swallowed down
By this the smallest oasis—:
—It opened up just yawning,
Its loveliest mouth agape,
Most sweet-odoured of all mouthlets:
Then fell I right in,
Right down, right through—in ’mong you,
Ye friendly damsels dearly loved! Selah.
Hail! hail! to that whale, fishlike,
If it thus for its guest’s convenience
Made things nice!—(ye well know,
Surely, my learned allusion?)
Hail to its belly,
If it had e’er
A such loveliest oasis-belly
As this is: though however I doubt about it,
—With this come I out of Old-Europe,
That doubt’th more eagerly than doth any
Elderly married woman.
May the Lord improve it!
Amen!
Here do I sit now,
In this the smallest oasis,
Like a date indeed,
Brown, quite sweet, gold-suppurating,
For rounded mouth of maiden longing,
But yet still more for youthful, maidlike,
Ice-cold and snow-white and incisory
Front teeth: and for such assuredly,
Pine the hearts all of ardent date-fruits. Selah.
To the there-named south-fruits now,
Similar, all-too-similar,
Do I lie here; by little
Flying insects
Round-sniffled and round-played,
And also by yet littler,
Foolisher, and peccabler
Wishes and phantasies,—
Environed by you,
Ye silent, presentientest
Maiden-kittens,
Dudu and Suleika,
—ROUNDSPHINXED, that into one word
I may crowd much feeling:
(Forgive me, O God,
All such speech-sinning!)
—Sit I here the best of air sniffling,
Paradisal air, truly,
Bright and buoyant air, golden-mottled,
As goodly air as ever
From lunar orb downfell—
Be it by hazard,
Or supervened it by arrogancy?
As the ancient poets relate it.
But doubter, I’m now calling it
In question: with this do I come indeed
Out of Europe,
That doubt’th more eagerly than doth any
Elderly married woman.
May the Lord improve it!
Amen.
This the finest air drinking,
With nostrils out-swelled like goblets,
Lacking future, lacking remembrances
Thus do I sit here, ye
Friendly damsels dearly loved,
And look at the palm-tree there,
How it, to a dance-girl, like,
Doth bow and bend and on its haunches bob,
—One doth it too, when one view’th it long!—
To a dance-girl like, who as it seem’th to me,
Too long, and dangerously persistent,
Always, always, just on SINGLE leg hath stood?
—Then forgot she thereby, as it seem’th to me,
The OTHER leg?
For vainly I, at least,
Did search for the amissing
Fellow-jewel
—Namely, the other leg—
In the sanctified precincts,
Nigh her very dearest, very tenderest,
Flapping and fluttering and flickering skirting.
Yea, if ye should, ye beauteous friendly ones,
Quite take my word:
She hath, alas! LOST it!
Hu! Hu! Hu! Hu! Hu!
It is away!
For ever away!
The other leg!
Oh, pity for that loveliest other leg!
Where may it now tarry, all-forsaken weeping?
The lonesomest leg?
In fear perhaps before a
Furious, yellow, blond and curled
Leonine monster? Or perhaps even
Gnawed away, nibbled badly—
Most wretched, woeful! woeful! nibbled badly! Selah.
Oh, weep ye not,
Gentle spirits!
Weep ye not, ye
Date-fruit spirits! Milk-bosoms!
Ye sweetwood-heart
Purselets!
Weep ye no more,
Pallid Dudu!
Be a man, Suleika! Bold! Bold!
—Or else should there perhaps
Something strengthening, heart-strengthening,
Here most proper be?
Some inspiring text?
Some solemn exhortation?—
Ha! Up now! honour!
Moral honour! European honour!
Blow again, continue,
Bellows-box of virtue!
Ha!
Once more thy roaring,
Thy moral roaring!
As a virtuous lion
Nigh the daughters of deserts roaring!
—For virtue’s out-howl,
Ye very dearest maidens,
Is more than every
European fervour, European hot-hunger!
And now do I stand here,
As European,
I can’t be different, God’s help to me!
Amen!
THE DESERTS GROW: WOE HIM WHO DOTH THEM HIDE!
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Let's Analyse the Pattern
When facing difficult present realities, people retreat into idealized versions of the past rather than doing the work required to improve their current situation.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches you to recognize when people use romanticized past stories to avoid taking responsibility for present problems.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone starts a complaint with 'back in my day' or 'remember when'—ask yourself what current challenge they're avoiding by retreating into that story.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Go not away! abide with us—otherwise the old gloomy affliction might again fall upon us."
Context: The shadow pleads with Zarathustra not to leave the gathering
This reveals the fundamental weakness of depending on others for emotional stability. The shadow admits that without Zarathustra's presence, they'll all fall back into depression and despair, showing they haven't actually grown.
In Today's Words:
Don't leave us - we'll fall apart without you here to keep us together.
"Those kings may well put on a good air before us still: for that have THEY learned best of us all at present!"
Context: Warning that even the seemingly confident leaders are just performing
This exposes how much of leadership and confidence is pure performance. The kings have learned to act strong in public, but underneath they're as lost and needy as everyone else.
In Today's Words:
Even the people who seem to have it together are just really good at faking it.
"Thou alone makest the air around thee strong and clear!"
Context: Praising Zarathustra's effect on others while revealing dependency
This shows both genuine recognition of strength and unhealthy dependency. The shadow can see what real strength looks like but wants to consume it rather than develop it himself.
In Today's Words:
You're the only one who makes everything feel okay and makes sense.
"do not let the weakly, womanly spirits attack us anew at dessert!"
Context: Begging for protection from their own weak impulses
The shadow recognizes that their tendency toward emotional collapse and self-pity will return the moment their support system leaves. He's asking to be protected from his own nature rather than working to change it.
In Today's Words:
Don't let us fall back into our old patterns of feeling sorry for ourselves.
Thematic Threads
Dependence
In This Chapter
The shadow begs Zarathustra not to leave, fearing he and the others will fall back into old patterns without external support
Development
Evolved from earlier chapters about following leaders - now showing the fear of losing that guidance
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when you panic at the thought of your mentor, boss, or strong friend not being available to guide your decisions.
Performance
In This Chapter
The shadow reveals that even the confident kings are just performing, hiding their inner confusion and despair
Development
Builds on themes of masks and false confidence shown throughout the book
In Your Life:
You see this when colleagues who seem to have it all together privately admit they're just as lost as everyone else.
Escapism
In This Chapter
The shadow's elaborate desert song represents retreat into fantasy and nostalgia rather than facing present challenges
Development
New manifestation of the avoidance patterns seen in other higher men
In Your Life:
This appears when you find yourself constantly reminiscing about 'better times' instead of working on current problems.
Memory Distortion
In This Chapter
The shadow's song becomes increasingly absurd and unreal, showing how nostalgia corrupts actual memory
Development
Introduced here as a specific mechanism of self-deception
In Your Life:
You might notice this when your stories about the past keep getting more dramatic and perfect each time you tell them.
Fear of Solitude
In This Chapter
The shadow's entire plea stems from terror of being alone without Zarathustra's presence and guidance
Development
Continues the theme of higher men's inability to stand independently
In Your Life:
This shows up when you realize you're more afraid of being alone with your thoughts than you are of staying in unsatisfying situations.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Why does Zarathustra's shadow beg him not to leave, and what does he fear will happen to the other men?
analysis • surface - 2
What does the shadow's elaborate desert song reveal about how he's dealing with his current situation?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see people using nostalgic stories or fantasies to avoid dealing with present challenges in your workplace, family, or community?
application • medium - 4
When you catch yourself or someone else retreating into 'remember when' thinking, what specific steps would you take to redirect toward present action?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter suggest about the difference between healthy appreciation of the past and using nostalgia as an escape mechanism?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Track Your Escape Routes
For the next three days, notice when you or people around you use phrases like 'remember when,' 'back in my day,' 'if only,' or 'things used to be.' Write down the specific situation that triggered this nostalgic thinking. Then identify what present-moment challenge or responsibility the person might be avoiding through this mental time travel.
Consider:
- •Look for patterns in when nostalgic thinking appears - is it during stress, conflict, or when facing new demands?
- •Notice the difference between sharing positive memories and using the past to avoid present action
- •Pay attention to how nostalgic thinking affects your energy and motivation to tackle current problems
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you found yourself constantly referencing how things 'used to be' instead of dealing with how things are now. What were you really avoiding, and what would have happened if you'd faced that challenge directly?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 77: The Ass Worship Ceremony
Zarathustra must now respond to his shadow's desperate plea and romantic escapism. Will he provide the comfort and dependency his followers seek, or will he challenge them to find their own strength?
