Life (personified)

And this is the song that Zarathustra sang when Cupid and the maidens danced together: Of late did I gaze into thine eye, O Life! And into the unfathomable did I there seem to sink. But thou pulledst me out with a…

Zarathustra sings of looking into Life's eye and being pulled out by her golden angle. Life denies being profound, and Wisdom accuses him of praising Life only from desire. He admits he loves Wisdom because she resembles Life. Life laughs when he describes Wisdom, and he sinks into her unfathomable eyes again.

“Behold,” said she, “I am that WHICH MUST EVER SURPASS ITSELF.

Life tells Zarathustra her secret. She is struggle, becoming and purpose, she turns against whatever she creates, and the knower is only a footstep of her will.

Only where there is life, is there also will: not, however, Will to Life, but—so teach I thee—Will to Power!

Life rejects the formula 'will to existence', since what is cannot strive to be. Life values many things above itself, and in that valuing the will to power speaks.

“Into thine eyes gazed I lately, O Life: gold saw I gleam in thy night-eyes,—my heart stood still with delight: —A golden bark saw I gleam on darkened waters, a sinking, drinking, reblinking, golden swing-bark! At my…

Zarathustra tells how he gazed into Life's eyes and danced after her. She flees and beckons, he loves her from afar and fears her near, he falls, grows weary of being her shepherd, and raises his whip.

Then did Life answer me thus, and kept thereby her fine ears closed: “O Zarathustra! Crack not so terribly with thy whip! Thou knowest surely that noise killeth thought,—and just now there came to me such delicate…

Life replies with her ears closed against the whip. She asks for friendliness, admits she is envious of his Wisdom, and says her love would leave him if his Wisdom did.

Thereupon did Life look thoughtfully behind and around, and said softly: “O Zarathustra, thou art not faithful enough to me! Thou lovest me not nearly so much as thou sayest; I know thou thinkest of soon leaving me.…

Life says Zarathustra is not faithful enough and thinks of leaving her when the midnight clock booms. He whispers something into her ear, she is amazed that he knows it, and they weep together on the meadow.

Then, however, was Life dearer unto me than all my Wisdom had ever been.

After weeping together, Zarathustra says Life has become dearer to him than his Wisdom.