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.

Explore the Lexicon

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume IIYEAR 1814 · Entry 7149

Swipe or use the arrow keys.

French Page · Branch 3368 of 4529

YEAR 1814 · Entry 7149

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 6735

[…] décembre.

En religion. Se mettre un bandeau sur les yeux, s’appuyer fortement […]ur l’espérance (tâcher d’avoir de la crainte) et ne rien juger, ne rien […]oir (n’agir en rien) qu’au flambeau de l’amour de Dieu.

Un bandeau sur l’esprit, pour ne pas voir les vérités qui nous éga[…]eroient.

Ne rien juger; se demander : cela fera t’il aimer Dieu?

L’allégorie des flammes dans un cœur; la croix et le calice (l’hos[…]ie) : c’est ce qui manque aux séparés.

Les séparés et divisés. Les Jansénistes : poëtique sans poësie. Jésuites : poësie sans poëtique.

Dieu aime tous les hommes. Le diable les hait. Les uns insistent sur ce dernier point, et les autres sur le premier.

« Au flambeau de l’amour de Dieu », on aimera mieux les jésuites que les jansénistes.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1814

p. 6736

December […].

In religion. To put a blindfold over one’s eyes, lean firmly [on] hope (try to have fear), and judge nothing, [see] nothing (act in nothing) except by the torch of the love of God.

A blindfold over the mind, so as not to see the truths that would [lead us astray].

To judge nothing; to ask oneself: will this make one love God?

The allegory of the flames in a heart; the cross and the chalice (the [host]): this is what the separated lack.

The separated and divided. The Jansenists: poetics without poetry. Jesuits: poetry without poetics.

God loves all men. The devil hates them. Some insist on the latter point, and others on the former.

“By the torch of the love of God,” one will love the Jesuits better than the Jansenists.

T33.The opening fragment, infinitival directions and two parenthetical instructions remain. [On] and [see] contextually render […]ur and […]oir without restoring French initials. Both nothing terms and the final except-by restriction have intact source support; the latter applies to the negative series rather than becoming a separate positive command. Fear has no added object. The single damaged December date belongs to all seven paragraphs and supplies no known day.

T179.Seven separately indented paragraphs remain under one wholly incomplete December day. No complete numeral can be certified from its isolated left-edge block. The paragraphs preserve their different infinitive, nominal and finite constructions without merging. All wording is roman. Paragraph 1 keeps both parenthetic insertions and repeated ne rien; only ur and oir remain at the damaged openings, with no full s or v certified. Paragraph 2’s line break leaves éga before the hyphen and eroient after the incomplete initial r; the explicit gap preserves that loss without changing the conditional-looking form. Paragraph 4 retains the parenthesis and colon, but the wrapped hos-/tie lacks a complete initial t; only ie is secure after the loss. Native binary 333 and original-size color agree on these incomplete components at the qualified level. Paragraph 3 literally prints fera t’il with space/apostrophe. Paragraph 5’s two poëtique and two poësie forms have separated upper e components; capitals Jansénistes/Jésuites differ from the later lower-case jésuites/jansénistes. Paragraph 6’s hait has one dot-like i mark, with no certified diaeresis or circumflex. In the French source, the final quotation closes after Dieu, before the comma; it does not encompass the following comparative judgment. The initial J of Jésuites, the s in sur ce dernier and q in the final que remain abraded but identifiable in color; the surrounding left-side material does not establish additional words. Independent bounded comparison agrees with the named losses, day limits and hait/poëtique/poësie upper marks; all contour qualifications remain.

T34.The nominal blindfold image, purpose and conditional would remain. [Lead us astray] broadly renders damaged éga[…]eroient and includes the counterpart of intact nous; the verb’s missing component is not restored in French. The paradox is not softened into falsehoods or unreliable opinions.

T35.Both infinitives and the question remain, with an impersonal English subject for the unspecific aimer construction.

T36.The allegory, three unparenthesized emblems and parenthetic host remain, followed by the lack. [Host] is a contextual whole-word counterpart of hos[…]ie and does not restore its lost letter. The separated remains the source’s unnamed designation, without an added institution or doctrine.

T37.The opening nominal designation and reversed poetics/poetry formulas remain. No verb or theological definition is supplied to complete the fragments.

T38.The two opposed assertions, all and the latter/former reference remain. The groups are not explicitly named in this paragraph; English does not assign them.

T39.The quoted torch phrase repeats the first paragraph, and the future comparison remains. English comma placement inside the quotation follows American house style; the quoted phrase alone keeps its boundary.

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.