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 6341

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English Page · Branch 2560 of 4529

1812 · Entry 6341

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 5119

5 mai.

Le trait, à celui qui l’a décoché. — La flèche venoit du carquois d’Hypéride, mais c’est Aster qui l’éguisa et la lança.

Le trait. S’il nous agrée, nous nous l’appliquons; mais il n’entre pas, il tombe (et tombe dans l’oubli). Il ne pénètre en nous et ne s’attache à la mémoire qu’autant qu’il a été fortement, franchement et sérieusement lancé, d’emprumpt ou non.

Le trait et les émanations de l’âme. Celles-ci s’exhalent et nous pénètrent comme les images entrent par les yeux et les parfums par l’odorat.

D’autres nous flattent comme les saveurs le palais, comme les corps ronds le toucher, quelquefois comme les beaux sons notre ouïe; enfin comme les avant-corps les corps.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: 1812

p. 5120

May 5.

The dart, to the one who shot it. — The arrow came from Hyperides’ quiver, but it was Aster who sharpened it and launched it.

The dart. If it pleases us, we apply it to ourselves; but it does not enter, it falls (and falls into oblivion). It penetrates us and attaches itself to memory only insofar as it has been launched forcefully, frankly and seriously, borrowed or not.

The dart and the emanations of the soul. The latter exhale and penetrate us as images enter through the eyes and perfumes through the sense of smell.

Others flatter us as flavors do the palate, as round bodies do touch, sometimes as beautiful sounds do our hearing; finally, as projecting parts do bodies.

T109.Dart and arrow retain the related images and their different nouns. Origin, sharpening and launching belong to their stated agents. The initial nominal relation and dash remain; no historical incident is supplied.

T448.Four separate paragraphs remain under May 5. The first is an elliptical attribution followed by the named arrow comparison; no larger source is supplied. Emprumpt retains its printed m and p before t. The repeated trait/tombe, partial restriction and three adverbs remain. The following plural Celles-ci and D’autres are not assigned a new named referent. Avant-corps retains its hyphen and remains distinct from corps. The right-edge words remain identifiable despite abrasion.

T110.The initial nominal repetition, conditional pleasure, repeated falls and restrictive only remain. Apply does not become penetrates; the three adverbs and final borrowed-or-not distinction remain separate. The source’s emprumpt spelling is retained in French.

T111.The nominal pair and distinct emanating/penetrating motions remain. The latter resumes the plural emanations; the two sensory comparisons preserve their different routes.

T112.The unspecified Others remains without a newly fixed antecedent. Flatter retains the sensuous range, and round bodies, sounds and projecting parts remain distinct. Projecting parts renders architectural avant-corps, a projection beyond a work’s ordinary surface; the relation to the following bodies is left open.

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.