Diotimos Library · Journals, Notebooks & Fragments Collection · Bilingual Edition
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I
Complete Notebooks · French with an independent English translation.
Explore the LexiconSwipe or use the arrow keys.
Facing Pages · Branch 2837 of 3781
[On Voltaire.] · Entry 2837
French
p. 56733 avril.
Sans nombres (disoient-ils) le discours balbutie. Ils admettoient certains nombres dans les compositions oratoires. Par exemple, quelques-uns l’iambique ephorus, le pœan et le dactyle (il rejettoit le spondée et le trochée). Aristote proscrit l’héroïque et l’iambe. Il admet le pœan ainsi que Theophraste et Theodecte. Cicéron veut qu’on les admette tous, mais plus fréquemment le pœan et le dactyle. C’est à dire que les anciens proscrivoient les nombres lents qui s’étalent, pour ainsi dire, arrêtent l’attention et se font remarquer et ils admettoient ceux qui vont vite et entraînent.
Un nombre différent de celui des vers, de tous vers chez eux et de quelques vers seulement parmi nous. Car la nature ne porte point à un certain mélange de temps, et une affectation de longues et de brèves (dont étoient composés les vers des anciens), mais elle détermine invinciblement selon la pensée et le caractère de l’écrivain, à une certaine quantité de sylabes, pour chaque phrase et chaque membre. La nature de l’oreille, la qualité même de l’attention selon les hommes et les peuples, le plus ou moins de vivacité de l’esprit exigeant...
Nota, qu’au delà de douze syllabes il n’y a plus de verc en français, et il y en a d’une. Les anciens au contraire ne pouvoient pas avoir même de temps qui ne consistât au moins en deux syllabes.
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I: [On Voltaire.]
p. 5674April 3.
Without rhythms (they said) discourse stammers. They admitted certain rhythms in oratorical compositions. For example, some the iambic ephorus, the paeon and the dactyl (he rejected the spondee and the trochee). Aristotle proscribes the heroic and the iamb. He admits the paeon, as do Theophrastus and Theodectes. Cicero wishes them all to be admitted, but the paeon and the dactyl more often. That is to say, the ancients proscribed slow rhythms that spread themselves out, so to speak, arrest the attention and call attention to themselves, and admitted those that move quickly and carry one along.
A rhythm different from that of verse, from all verse among them and only some verse among us. For nature does not impel us toward a certain mixture of times and an affected arrangement of longs and shorts (of which the ancients’ verse was composed), but irresistibly determines, according to the writer’s thought and character, a certain number of syllables for each sentence and each member. The nature of the ear, the very quality of attention according to men and peoples, the greater or lesser liveliness of mind requiring...
Note that beyond twelve syllables there is no longer verse in French, and there is verse of one. The ancients, on the contrary, could not have even a time that did not consist of at least two syllables.
Socrates
Reading The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I · [On Voltaire.] · Entry 2837
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.