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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Facing Pages · Branch 3241 of 3781
[On Voltaire.] · Entry 3241
French
p. 6481Enfin dans un étroit espace et dans un court rassemblement tous les peuples, en quelque sorte, tous les sexes, et tous les rangs, et tous les âges à genoux priant pour une jeune femme qui n’avoit paru dans la vie que pour en souffrir tous les maux.
— Cette idée et ce sentiment auroient jetté quelque douceur dans cette couppe d’amertume où elle a bu enfin la mort.
Son âme seule resta forte.
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I: [On Voltaire.]
p. 6482Finally, in a narrow space and a brief gathering, all peoples, in a sense, all sexes, and all ranks, and all ages on their knees praying for a young woman who had appeared in life only to suffer all its ills.
— This idea and this feeling would have cast some sweetness into that cup of bitterness from which she finally drank death.
Her soul alone remained strong.
Socrates
Reading The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I · [On Voltaire.] · Entry 3241
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.