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 7199

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Facing Pages · Branch 3418 of 4529

YEAR 1814 · Entry 7199

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 6835

Les clartés, les figures et les couleurs de la parole. Ses sons ou son harmonie prétendus. Mais il n’y a (dans la plupart des langues au moins, et surtout dans la française) d’harmonie et de son pour l’esprit dans le discours […] ce ne peut être que par le sens. De sorte qu’on peut dire que s’il y a dans l’élocution et surtout dans la prose « un clavecin », c’est un clavecin oculaire.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1814

p. 6836

The lights, figures and colors of speech. Its supposed sounds or harmony. But there is no harmony or sound for the mind in discourse (in most languages at least, and especially in French) […] it can only be through sense. So one can say that, if there is in elocution and especially in prose “a harpsichord,” it is an ocular harpsichord.

T113.The opening nominal phrases, supposed, at least, especially and final condition remain. The bracketed ellipsis after discours is literally printed in the book and leaves the construction incomplete; it is not a new reproduction loss. English does not supply a missing conjunction or silently complete an exception. The parenthesis is moved after discourse for readability. Sense retains sens in its relation to harmony, and ocular harpsichord preserves the visual-musical image. Only a harpsichord is quoted within the sentence; all text remains roman.

T229.The three initial optical nouns and the following fragment Ses sons ou son harmonie prétendus remain literally coordinated, including plural prétendus. The parenthetic language qualification and both restrictive constructions remain without syntactic repair. The bracketed ellipsis after discours is literally printed; it does not certify a new reproduction loss or a missing conjunction. In the French source, the quoted un clavecin and the final oculaire analogy remain, with the comma outside the closing quotation and no added explanatory words. All text is roman.

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.