Diotimos Library · Journals, Notebooks & Fragments Collection · Bilingual Edition

Joseph Joubert

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II

Name: The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II
Author: Joseph Joubert

Complete Notebooks · French with an independent English translation.

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The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II1812 · Entry 6315

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Facing Pages · Branch 2534 of 4529

1812 · Entry 6315

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 5067

Tout systhème est un artifice, une fabrique qui m’intéresse peu. […]’examine quelles richesses naturelles il contient; et je ne prends garde qu’au thrésor. D’autres, au contraire, ne se soucient que du […]offre. Ils en scavent les dimensions et comment il est fait, s’il est de bois de cyprès, de sandal, d’aloès, d’acajou ou de noyer. Les vers à soye ont besoin pour filer de brins de bois disposés d’une certaine […]anière; il faut les leur laisser et les leur fournir s’il en est besoin; mais ce n’est pas aux brins de bois et à la quenouille qu’il faut regarder; c’est à la soye.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: 1812

p. 5068

Every system is an artifice, a fabrication that interests me little. [I] examine what natural riches it contains; and I attend only to the treasure. Others, on the contrary, care only about the [coffer]. They know its dimensions and how it is made, whether of cypress, sandalwood, aloes, mahogany or walnut. Silkworms need bits of wood arranged in a certain [way] in order to spin; these must be left to them and supplied if need be; but it is not at the bits of wood and the distaff that one must look; it is at the silk.

T81.The first-person judgment, coffer and treasure, all five woods, and the silkworm image remain. The distaff is not removed because it complicates the literal image. [I], [coffer] and [way] render contextual J’, coffre and manière from […]’examine, […]offre and […]anière. The examine verb and the other objects remain intact. No missing French letter is supplied; system, treasure and silk render the retained printed systhème, thrésor and soye.

T421.The initial before ’examine, the damaged opening of coffre and the first letter before anière are not established. J’examine, coffre and manière are contextual completions only. The o in offre remains qualified for broken ink. The abraded initials in garde, de bois, à soye, mais and the wrapped ending of regarder retain identifiable structural remnants and are qualified readings. Detached margin debris does not establish additional words. Systhème retains the extra h, thrésor the printed h and a compressed acute-like mark over e, and scavent, sandal and soye their literal spellings. The wood list, repeated brins de bois, paired laisser/fournir and restriction to silk remain.

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 II continues the notebooks and includes seventy undated pieces. 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.