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 6508

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English Page · Branch 2727 of 4529

1812 · Entry 6508

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 5453

26 décembre.

Comment un homme si fou peut-il parler si sagement ou comment un parleur si sage peut-il agir si follement? — Ah! la muse! (la mémoire, mnémone). L’esprit d’imitation bien dirigé ou dirigé par le bon goût, l’aptitude à la bonne et haute éloquence, de belles empreintes reproduites, de belles empreintes (dis-je) facilement reçuës et facilement reproduites, des impressions devenues des moules, des moules devenus des modèles; un mystère d’organisation qu’il suffit de reconnoître et qu’il seroit, non pas impossible, mais inutile d’expliquer : voilà ce qui produit cette admirable singularité. Et en voici une autre qui peut-être est plus surprenante : le talent qui : vaut mieux que l’homme paroît presque toujours plus beau; apparemment il vient du ciel.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: 1812

p. 5454

December 26.

How can so foolish a man speak so wisely, or how can so wise a speaker act so foolishly? — Ah! the muse! (memory, mnémone). The spirit of imitation well directed or directed by good taste, the aptitude for good and lofty eloquence, beautiful imprints reproduced, beautiful imprints (I say) easily received and easily reproduced, impressions become molds, molds become models; a mystery of organization that it is enough to recognize and that it would be, not impossible, but useless to explain: that is what produces this admirable singularity. And here is another that is perhaps more surprising: talent that: is worth more than the man almost always appears more beautiful; apparently it comes from heaven.

T341.The opposed fool/wise formulations, repeated directed/imprints/easily/molds, parenthetic self-correction and distinction not impossible but useless remain. Mnémone is retained italic as the source’s term beside its memory gloss, without adding an unverified etymology. The anomalous colon after that reproduces the qualified printed colon after qui; no implied word is supplied. The final judgment concerns talent and remains qualified by almost always and apparently.

T625.The one long paragraph remains, including the repeated empreintes/moules formulations and the opening comparison. Mnémone alone is italic. Reçuës retains a qualified diaeresis reading from two uneven raised components over e. After le talent qui the native image shows two separated vertically aligned solid blocks, supporting the anomalous printed colon; that punctuation reading is retained with a reproduction qualification rather than removed from expected syntax. The two other colons, semicolons, parenthesis, and non pas impossible / mais inutile distinction 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.