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 6494

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Facing Pages · Branch 2713 of 4529

1812 · Entry 6494

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 5425

18 décembre.

Gustave-Dugazon. C’est comme si on disoit César Arlequin, Achille Pierrot, Hector Petitjean, Alexandre Scaramouche, etc. Risible accouplement de noms.

Malvina, Clara, Paméla, Estelle, Emile, etc. détestables innovations! (Buffon, Gracchus, etc.)

Donnez comme autrefois des patrons à vos enfans par leurs pr[…]noms et non pas de sonores et inutiles sobriquets.

Il n’étoit pas ridicule à un meunier de s’appeller Louis, Grégoire, Edouard, parce que ces grands princes ont été de grands saints, et que tous les hommes peuvent et doivent aspirer aux grandes vertus, mais non pas aux grandes fortunes, aux grands exploits, aux grands talens et aux grandes réputations.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: 1812

p. 5426

December 18.

Gustave-Dugazon. It is as if one said Caesar Harlequin, Achilles Pierrot, Hector Petitjean, Alexander Scaramouche, etc. Laughable coupling of names.

Malvina, Clara, Paméla, Estelle, Emile, etc. detestable innovations! (Buffon, Gracchus, etc.)

Give your children patron saints through their [given names], as in former times, and not sonorous and useless nicknames.

It was not ridiculous for a miller to be called Louis, Gregory, Edward, because these great princes were great saints, and all men can and should aspire to great virtues, but not to great fortunes, great exploits, great talents and great reputations.

T316.The nominal beginning and ending, hypothetical comparison and full series remain. Caesar, Harlequin, Achilles and Alexander use conventional English forms; the other names remain as printed. No performer or biographical circumstance is identified beyond the source.

T610.All four separately indented paragraphs remain. The wrapped accouplement has a merged but u-like final glyph before the break; its literal reading is qualified. After pr in the third paragraph, the marginal fragments do not establish the complete accented letter before next-line noms, so pr[…]noms remains. The printed names and accents, including plain Emile and Edouard, are retained. S’appeller has double l; the nominal exclamations and repeated negative comparison remain.

T317.The whole list, lower-case exclamation and separate parenthesis remain. Source accents and lack of an accent in Emile are retained; no additional literary characters or naming histories are supplied.

T318.[Given names] renders contextual prénoms from pr[…]noms, with the complete English phrase bracketed. Saints makes explicit the patronage indicated by the following paragraph’s great saints; it is not presented as a missing source word. The contrast with sonorous and useless nicknames remains.

T319.The miller, the repeated great, can and should, and the final four exclusions remain. Gregory and Edward use conventional English forms of Grégoire and Edouard; no specific kings are assigned beyond Joubert’s wording.

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.