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 IIUNDATED · Entry 8250

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Facing Pages · Branch 4469 of 4529

UNDATED · Entry 8250

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 8937

10 (Liasse 8.)

Il y a dans la grande langue une espèce de langue particulière et que j’appellerois langue historique parce qu’elle n’exprime que des choses relatives à nos mœurs présentes, à nos gouvernemens actuels, à tout cet état de choses enfin qui change chaque jour et qui doit passer. Quiquonque veut se faire un stile durable ne doit en user qu’avec une extrême sobriété.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: UNDATED

p. 8938

10 (Bundle 8.)

Within the great language there is a kind of language that is particular and that I would call historical language, because it expresses only things relating to our present manners, our current governments, to that whole state of affairs, finally, which changes every day and must pass. Whoever wishes to make himself a lasting style must use it only with extreme restraint.

T12.Great/particular, first-person conditional name, only, present/current, whole/every-day/must-pass and lasting-style contrast remain. Extreme restraint renders extrême sobriété in use, not abstinence from drink. No named national language is inserted. That is particular turns the source adjective particulière into an English relative so that and that I would call retains the explicit et que without a broken English coordination. This grammatical expansion is not a source loss. French retains Quiquonque, stile and gouvernemens. English supplies the comma before because and the commas around finally. The source has three à relations; English coordinates our current governments without repeating to. The entire body is roman; Liasse 8. is italic within the separate roman parentheses and supplies no date.

T181.In the French source, the label is (Liasse 8.) for printed item 10. Literal Quiquonque has qui- before -quonque; stile and gouvernemens remain. Conditional j’appellerois and explicit et que are retained without grammatical repair. The source has no commas around enfin or before parce que; the three à relations and both qui clauses remain. No source nation/language is named. All body text is roman and its wraps are complete.

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.