Diotimos Library · Journals, Notebooks & Fragments Collection · Bilingual Edition
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I
Complete Notebooks · French with an independent English translation.
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English Page · Branch 1615 of 3781
[On movement.] · Entry 1615
French
p. 3229Le tournoiement : produit par la chute de l’air dans les moulins à vent; par la chute de l’eau dans les moulins à eau; par le souffle, en un mot, dans tous les cas, dans toutes les matières. C’est la lumière qui, tombant sur eux pour les remplir et en sortant d’eux pour arroser le monde, c’est dis-je la lumière qui fait tourner les astres comme l’eau et l’air font tourner les moulins; ou comme le feu fait tourner les soleils qu’on voit dans nos feux d’artifice.
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I: [On movement.]
p. 3230Spinning: produced by the fall of air in windmills; by the fall of water in watermills; by the breath, in a word, in every case, in every matter. It is light which, falling upon them to fill them and issuing from them to sprinkle the world, it is, I say, light that makes the stars turn as water and air make mills turn; or as fire makes the suns turn that we see in our fireworks.
Socrates
Reading The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I · [On movement.] · Entry 1615
Ask about a concept, passage, contradiction, or connection.
Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.About This Reading Edition
Joubert’s notebooks return to the work of thinking and writing, the demands of friendship, and questions of faith, beauty and conduct. This edition pairs the French with a new English translation, preserving the order of the chosen source and the unfinished character of its fragments. Dates and source references allow readers to follow a thought through time or return to its printed context.
Historical Text and Translation
The French text follows André Beaunier’s 1938 edition of Les Carnets de Joseph Joubert, published by Gallimard from Joubert’s autograph manuscripts. Volume I presents the entries on printed pages 32–475. French and English are aligned paragraph by paragraph, retaining the source order, printed dates and page references so readers can return to the facsimile.
About Diotimos Editions
Diotimos Editions prepared this new English translation directly from the French, preserving Joubert’s distinctions, recurring images, ambiguities and unfinished thoughts. Translator’s notes clarify wording, references and uncertain readings: Essential keeps notes that help explain a passage, while All includes technical detail. Annotations from the 1938 source edition remain distinct from the new translator’s notes.
Rights
The linked facsimile records identify the French source as public domain in the United States. The new English translation and editorial notes are © 2026 Diotimos, with source annotations and new editorial contributions credited separately. This edition pairs the complete French notebooks with an independent English translation, preserving the distinction between Joubert’s text and its accompanying notes.