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 1815 · Entry 7391

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Facing Pages · Branch 3610 of 4529

YEAR 1815 · Entry 7391

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 7219

Racine est l’homme du monde qui s’entend le mieux à filer les mots, les sentimens, les pensées, les actions, les événemens; et chez lui les événemens, les actions, les pensées, les sentimens et les paroles; […]out est de soye. Pradon a quelquefois aussi des paroles de soye; […]ais il ne fesoit que brouiller.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1815

p. 7220

Racine knows better than anyone in the world how to spin words, feelings, thoughts, actions, events; and in him events, actions, thoughts, feelings and words are [all] silk. Pradon too sometimes has words of silk; [but] he did nothing but tangle.

T220.The superlative competence, five-term sequence and full reversal remain, with mots/paroles both rendered words. Spin, silk and tangle preserve the textile image instead of reducing it to smooth style. Sometimes and too qualify Pradon, while the final past did remains distinct from present has. The restrictive did-nothing-but is retained without adding a named object. The English joins the reversed list to its predicate with are all silk; the French retains a qualified semicolon before […]out est de soye. The source’s separate upper block supports that reading, although an artifact beside a comma remains possible. This punctuation and syntax change is not a repair of the French. The paragraph continues through the opening of 831 without a new unit. [All] and [but] contextually complete the two 831 losses […]out and […]ais. The English predicate arrangement is not used as evidence to resolve the uncertain source punctuation.

T580.One paragraph continues from 830 onto the first two lines of 831. The first five-item list and the reversed second list retain their distinct final mots/paroles terms, semicolon and a qualified terminal semicolon before the page turn. Historical sentimens/événemens, soye twice and fesoit remain. At 831 only out and ais are complete at the two clipped beginnings. Original-size color/native 363 do not certify t or the incomplete first arch of m; no initials are reconstructed. The surviving o/a contours are abraded but identifiable. Quelquefois/aussi, present a versus imperfect fesoit and final restrictive ne...que remain. The bounded independent comparison agrees with the qualified connoit, triaires, vuë, terminal semicolon and two 831 continuation losses; it covers new 830 and the incoming 831 lines, not the new 831 units. After paroles, original-size color/native 362 show a lower comma-shaped body and a separate higher block, supporting a qualified semicolon; the upper block’s rightward displacement leaves an artifact beside a comma possible. The reproduced mark is retained without certifying typographic intent.

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.