| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche: FROM THE HEIGHTS (POEM TRANSLATED BY L.A. MAGNUS)
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PREFACE
SUPPOSING that Truth is a woman--what then? Is there not ground
for suspecting that all philosophers, in so far as they have been
dogmatists, have failed to understand women--that the terrible
seriousness and clumsy importunity with which they have usually
paid their addresses to Truth, have been unskilled and unseemly
methods for winning a woman? Certainly she has never allowed
herself to be won; and at present every kind of dogma stands with
sad and discouraged mien--IF, indeed, it stands at all! For there
Beyond Good and Evil |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Hiero by Xenophon: [14] Lit. "feels least disgust at age"; i.e. his patron's years and
wrinkles.
[15] Cf. Plat. "Phaedr." 231 B.
The fact is, to have reached the zenith of distinction in itself lends
ornament,[16] nay, a lustre effacing what is harsh and featureless and
rude, and making true beauty yet more splendid.
[16] Or, "The mere prestige of highest worship helps to adorn." See
Aristot. "N. E." xi. 17. As to {auto to tetimesthai m. s.} I think
it is the {arkhon} who is honoured by the rest of men, which
{time} helps to adorn him. Others seem to think it is the
{paidika} who is honoured by the {arkhon}. If so, transl.: "The
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