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 1819 · Entry 8003

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French Page · Branch 4222 of 4529

YEAR 1819 · Entry 8003

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 8443

12 février.

Le cercle, la ligne droite. La colonne, suite de cercles en […] droite. Le cercle est la plus belle des figures et la colonne est u[…] plus beaux ornemens graves. Et cependant le tonneau qui […] aussi une suite de lignes circulaires en ligne droite, offre des fo[…] ridicules. Pourquoi? et applications. Observez que le cippe est […] quoiqu’il soit court.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1819

p. 8444

February 12.

The circle, the straight line. The column, a succession of circles in a straight [line]. The circle is the most beautiful of figures, and the column is [one of the] finest solemn ornaments. And yet the barrel, which [is] also a succession of circular lines in a straight line, presents ridiculous [forms]. Why? and applications. Observe that the cippus is [beautiful], although it is short.

T28.The first two nominal fragments, repeated straight line, one-of qualification and unresolved Why? and applications remain. Cippus retains cippe as an architectural term: the complete Académie entry of 1762 describes a half-column without a capital, formerly bearing inscriptions. It does not identify a particular monument. Grave describes the ornament’s solemn character. The first [line] contextually fills the slot between en and droite; the English a is ordinary article supply. [One of the] broadly interprets u[…] before plus beaux, without certifying the missing French words. [Is] fills the wholly lost predicate after qui, [forms] interprets fo[…], and [beautiful] fills the whole slot after est. All are contextual readings, not certified completions. The English comma after beautiful is supplied where punctuation within the source gap is unknown. English adds a comma before the barrel’s relative which; the source has no comma before qui but does have one after droite. French retains ornemens. All prose is roman.

T136.The complete 12, two nominal formulations and Pourquoi? et applications. remain. The faded openings/endings at the right edge do not certify a complete word after en, any letter after u in the following line, the word after qui, the ending after fo, or a complete b in the slot after est. All remain explicit gaps; no final comma is supplied inside the last gap. Literal ornemens and cippe remain; no modern architectural identification is inserted.

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.