Fourth and Last Part · LXX. Noontide

Falling into the well of eternity

—What hath befallen me: Hark! Hath time flown away? Do I not fall? Have I not fallen—hark! into the well of eternity?

—What happeneth to me? Hush! It stingeth me—alas—to the heart? To the heart! Oh, break up, break up, my heart, after such happiness, after such a sting!

—What? Hath not the world just now become perfect? Round and ripe? Oh, for the golden round ring—whither doth it fly? Let me run after it! Quick!

Hush—” (and here Zarathustra stretched himself, and felt that he was asleep.)

“Up!” said he to himself, “thou sleeper! Thou noontide sleeper! Well then, up, ye old legs! It is time and more than time; many a good stretch of road is still awaiting you—

Now have ye slept your fill; for how long a time? A half-eternity! Well then, up now, mine old heart! For how long after such a sleep mayest thou—remain awake?”

(But then did he fall asleep anew, and his soul spake against him and defended itself, and lay down again)—“Leave me alone! Hush! Hath not the world just now become perfect? Oh, for the golden round ball!—

Time seems to fly away and Zarathustra feels he has fallen into eternity, stung to the heart. He chases the vanishing golden ring, then bids his legs and heart rise, while his soul defends itself and sinks back into sleep.

The great noontideAt noon time seems to vanish and Zarathustra falls into the well of eternity.
Eternal recurrenceThe golden round ring and ball that fly away suggest the ring of eternity, though recurrence is not named.

Commentary on this chapter

What the critics said

Anthony M. Ludovici, Notes on Thus Spake Zarathustra (1909)

Noontide: man comes of ageAnthony M. Ludovici · Notes on Thus Spake Zarathustra, 1909interpretation

Ludovici explains that with Nietzsche man came of age at the noon of life: the gods and superstitions of our childhood withdraw, we are responsible for our actions, and having lived our morning under chance we must make our afternoon our own.