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 7897

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French Page · Branch 4116 of 4529

YEAR 1818 · Entry 7897

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 8231

14 octobre.

La tournure de cette sentence d’Hippocrate : « Les vieillards sont rarement malades, mais (ou, et) ils guérissent rarement. » Observez la simplicité, la brièveté et la sage économie de ces paroles.

Sur le et et sur le mais de cette phrase. Le mais appartient plus au caractère des modernes, le et à celui des anciens. Le mais est là une réflexion et le et un simple récit. Le et vaut donc mieux. Car le jugement est des hommes, mais l’intuition est des dieux. Ils voient tout au lieu de juger.

« Les vieillards sont rarement malades, mais ils guérissent difficilement » : c’est une autre espèce de phrase.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1818

p. 8232

October 14.

The turn of this sentence of Hippocrates: “Old men are rarely ill, but (or, and) they rarely recover.” Observe the simplicity, brevity and wise economy of these words.

On the and and on the but of this sentence. The but belongs more to the character of the moderns, the and to that of the ancients. The but here is a reflection, and the and a simple account. The and is therefore better. For judgment belongs to men, but intuition belongs to the gods. They see everything instead of judging.

“Old men are rarely ill, but they recover with difficulty”: this is another kind of sentence.

T135.The attribution is the printed source’s, not a separately authenticated quotation. The repeated rarely, contrasting but/and alternative and three praised qualities remain; the English is freshly rendered from the printed French.

T372.The complete 14 governs three separately indented paragraphs. The first quotation has its period before its closing guillemet; the second closes without an internal period before the following colon. The first but/and alternative and repeated rarement remain; no external Hippocratic text is substituted. Seven metalinguistic terms in paragraph 2 are italic: four et and three mais. Their articles and the ordinary conjunctions remain roman. The native strip supports the type distinction; the juge-/ment and diffici-/lement wraps are complete. The comparative and judgment/intuition contrast remain.

T136.All seven metalinguistic and/but terms retain their repeated English forms and corresponding source italics: four and and three but. Their articles and ordinary conjunctions remain roman. The comparative, therefore, judgment/intuition contrast and gods’ seeing-all remain. The awkward article before a mentioned word is intentional and does not add a quotation to the source.

T137.The second example changes rarely recover to recover with difficulty, as printed. The colon and demonstrative comparison remain in a separate paragraph of the same entry.

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.