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 1818 · Entry 7885

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English Page · Branch 4104 of 4529

YEAR 1818 · Entry 7885

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 8207

30 septembre.

Les quatre amours correspondans aux quatre âges de la vie humaine bien ordonné : l’amour de tout, l’amour des femmes, l’amour de l’ordre et l’amour de Dieu. Mais il est des âmes privilégiées qui s’adonnent dès la jeunesse et presque dès l’enfance à l’amour de l’ordre et à l’amour de Dieu, s’interdisent l’amour des femmes et passent une longue vie à n’aimer rien que d’innocent.

S6.Source editor’s annotationPremière version : « 29 septembre. Dans la nature humaine bien réglée et bien ordonnée, l’enfance a en partage l’amour du tout ou de tout ce que le monde contient d’agréable; la jeunesse, l’amour des femmes; l’âge mûr, l’amour de l’ordre; et la vieillesse, l’amour de Dieu. L’amour de tout, l’amour des femmes, l’amour de l’ordre et l’amour de Dieu sont donc les quatre amours correspondans aux quatre âges de notre vie. Mais il est des âmes sublimes qui, s’adonnant dès la jeunesse et quelquefois même dès l’enfance à l’amour de l’ordre et à l’amour de Dieu [etc.] » Plus loin : « 30 septembre. L’amour du tout, l’amour des femmes, l’amour de l’ordre et l’amour de Dieu sont les quatre amours de la vie ou des quatre âges, dans la nature bien ordonnée. »

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1818

p. 8208

September 30.

The four loves corresponding to the four ages of well-ordered human life: love of everything, love of women, love of order and love of God. But there are privileged souls who, from youth and almost from childhood, give themselves to love of order and love of God, forbid themselves love of women, and spend a long life loving nothing but what is innocent.

S6.Source editor’s annotationFirst version: “September 29. In human nature well regulated and well ordered, childhood has as its share love of the whole, or of everything agreeable that the world contains; youth, love of women; maturity, love of order; and old age, love of God. Love of everything, love of women, love of order and love of God are thus the four loves corresponding to the four ages of our life. But there are sublime souls who, giving themselves from youth and sometimes even from childhood to love of order and love of God [etc.]” Further on: “September 30. Love of the whole, love of women, love of order and love of God are the four loves of life or of the four ages, in well-ordered nature.”

T113.The nominal opening, repeated four, all four loves and their order remain. From youth/almost childhood, privileged, long life and the restrictive final innocence remain. The earlier versions’ different ages and descriptions are kept in the annotation rather than substituted here. The source’s masculine ordonné after feminine vie humaine is retained literally in French; English well-ordered does not reproduce grammatical gender.

T122.Both internal dates and two distinct quotations remain within one apparatus paragraph. The whole/tout and everything/tout variations, regulated/ordered pair, four ages, sublime and sometimes even remain. The printed [etc.] is not expanded from the main passage, and neither variant becomes a new main entry.

T359.One continuous roman apparatus paragraph contains the 29 septembre quotation, editorial Plus loin and the 30 septembre quotation. Both dates remain apparatus data, distinct from the main 30 septembre. The two du tout phrases and intervening de tout, four ages, two initial qualities, sublime souls and quelquefois même remain. The first quotation ends with literal printed [etc.] without completion; the second includes its period before the closing guillemet. Mûr has a peaked upper mark at qualified color resolution.

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.