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 IIYEAR 1814 · Entry 7176

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English Page · Branch 3395 of 4529

YEAR 1814 · Entry 7176

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 6789

La règle doit être droite comme un fil et non pas comme une barre de fer. Le cordeau indique la ligne, même lorsqu’il fléchit; et l’inflexion ne le fausse pas.

Toute règle bien faite est souple et droite. Les esprits durs la font de fer.

Elle doit être droite dans l’esprit de celui qui doit l’observer et souple entre les mains de celui qui l’impose. — Règle de bois et non de fer. Celle de fer détériore par sa dureté inflexible ce qu’elle touche, à moins qu’on ne l’applique au marbre. — « Mon joug léger... Apprenez de moi que je suis doux et humble de cœur. » Dieu est-il fier? Il n’est que juste. Pharisiens qui imposoient des fardeaux trop lourds; pharisiens en ce point.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1814

p. 6790

A rule must be straight like a thread, and not like an iron bar. The cord marks the line even when it bends; and bending does not distort it.

Every well-made rule is supple and straight. Hard minds make it of iron.

It must be straight in the mind of the person who must observe it and supple in the hands of the person who imposes it. — A rule of wood, and not of iron. The iron one damages whatever it touches through its inflexible hardness, unless one applies it to marble. — “My light yoke... Learn from me that I am gentle and humble of heart.” Is God proud? He is only just. Pharisees who imposed burdens too heavy; pharisees in this respect.

T82.Rule retains the practical and normative analogy; the cord is not replaced with a rigid ruler. Even when, and and the intact negative remain. The final masculine le points back to cordeau; English retains it without repeating the noun.

T206.Three separately indented paragraphs remain in one undated unit. The thread/iron-bar and wooden/iron-rule distinctions, flexible/straight pair, repeated de fer and all negative/restrictive constructions remain; no image is regularized into a single object. The third paragraph keeps its two dashes, quoted words beginning Mon joug léger... and ending after cœur., direct question and Pharisiens/pharisiens capitalization shift. The first printed ellipsis is not a current reproduction gap, and the scriptural words are not replaced from an external text. Color/native margin comparison retains qualified identifiable starts in de, flexion, souple, che, Apprenez, fier and lourds. The in-/flexion and tou-/che wraps retain their actual letters without added losses; outer-margin artifacts do not warrant extra words.

T83.The universal, paired supple/straight qualities and hard/iron transformation remain. The repeated rule is not replaced by a named law or religious authority.

T84.The two obligation relations, mind/hands contrast, wood/iron opposition and marble exception remain. The bounded yoke quotation is freshly translated from the French, retaining its nominal opening and ellipsis without importing a standard English Bible. The question, restrictive only and unfinished Pharisees formulation remain. No claim of an exact biblical quotation has yet been made.

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.