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.

Explore the Lexicon

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume IIYEAR 1805 · Entry 4419

Swipe or use the arrow keys.

French Page · Branch 638 of 4529

YEAR 1805 · Entry 4419

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 1275

Le passage La Rochefoucault : « Ce n’est pour l’ordinaire que dans de petits intérêts où nous prenons le hazard de ne pas croire aux apparences. » (Maxime 302ᵉ.) Cette phraze est obscure. On l’entend difficilement. Quand on l’a entendue, le sens en reste, mais les mots échappent parce qu’ils ne sont pas assés nets. Cependant si on a pu une fois les retenir, on se convainc qu’il n’y avoit pas d’autres mots et d’autre tournure qui fussent aussi propres que ceux là à inculquer parfaitement cette pensée et à forcer l’attention à s’y arrêter. On voit bientôt que l’obscurité vient seulement de la place qu’occupe dans la phraze la particule où qui est cependant exacte et indispensable après le que qui a précédé. (C’est un malheur de construction) — et de l’embarras que cause d’abord à l’esprit les mots de prendre le hazard, locution inusitée. On sauveroit peut être cet inconvénient si on l’expliquoit en disant : « Nous prenons sur nous le hazard ». Sur nous éclaircit tout, quoique peu clair; parce que l’expression prendre sur soi est très commune. Si on fesoit ainsi la maxime : « C’est pour l’ordinaire dans les petits intérêts seulement que nous prenons sur nous le hazard de ne pas croire aux apparences », tout paroitroit aplani; mais la maxime, en ne causant à l’esprit aucune peine, ne donneroit peut être à l’attention aucun profit. En cas pareil, il seroit meilleur que le public adoptât les locutions qui ont été une fois nécessaires, et qui une fois adoptées deviendroient claires pour toujours. Et ce qui a été une fois nécessaire peut l’être plus d’une fois. Prendre le hazard, par exemple; pour moi, je dirois volontiers j’ai pris le hazard de ne pas vous rencontrer pour avoir le bonheur de vous voir plutôt, (en rendant une visite à des heures où la personne qu’on va voir est rarement chez elle). Introduite dans la langue par la familière, (sic) cette expression seroit très claire et deviendroit bientôt utile. Ils prirent le hazard d’arriver sans être attendus. Etc. Ce grand homme prit le hazard de ce fier à son étoile. Certainement cette manière de s’exprimer, employée ainsi à propos et avec noblesse, nous paroitroit bientôt heureuse. Et le sur soi dont nous aurions besoin aujourd’hui pour la faire souffrir et qui lui ôte toute énergie (car il n’est point d’énergie dans ce qui est soutenu par quelque appui) deviendroit aussi inutile qu’il est traînant.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1805

p. 1276

The La Rochefoucault passage: “It is usually only in small interests where we take the hazard of not believing appearances.” (Maxim 302.) This sentence is obscure. It is difficult to understand. Once one has understood it, its meaning remains, but the words escape because they are not clear-cut enough. Yet if one has once managed to retain them, one becomes convinced that there were no other words and no other turn of phrase as apt as those to instill this thought perfectly and force attention to dwell on it. One soon sees that the obscurity comes only from the place occupied in the sentence by the particle où, which is nevertheless exact and indispensable after the preceding que. (It is a misfortune of construction) — and from the difficulty initially caused to the mind by the words take the hazard, an unusual expression. Perhaps this inconvenience could be avoided by explaining it thus: “We take upon ourselves the hazard.” Upon ourselves clarifies everything, though little clear itself; because the expression take upon oneself is very common. If one made the maxim thus: “It is usually in small interests only that we take upon ourselves the hazard of not believing appearances,” everything would seem smoothed out; but the maxim, in giving the mind no pains, would perhaps give attention no profit. In such a case, it would be better for the public to adopt expressions that have once been necessary and that, once adopted, would become clear forever. And what has once been necessary may be so more than once. Take the hazard, for example; for my part, I would willingly say I took the hazard of not finding you for the happiness of seeing you sooner, (in paying a visit at hours when the person one is going to see is rarely at home). Introduced into the language through the familiar, (sic) this expression would be very clear and would soon become useful. They took the hazard of arriving without being expected. Etc. This great man took the hazard of trusting his star. Certainly this manner of expression, used thus aptly and with nobility, would soon seem felicitous to us. And the upon oneself that we would need today to make it tolerable, and that takes all energy from it (for there is no energy in what is sustained by some support), would become as useless as it is dragging.

T227.The reference agrees with maxim 302, whose standard printed wording begins Ce n’est d’ordinaire. Joubert’s pour l’ordinaire and printed name La Rochefoucault remain. Small interests can mean matters of little consequence and is not restricted to monetary investments.

T228.Take the hazard deliberately retains an unusual expression for assuming a risk because Joubert argues for adopting the unusual French locution prendre le hazard. The familiar English take the risk would conceal the difficulty he is discussing. The repeated upon oneself renders the proposed explanatory addition sur soi.

T229.The words où and que remain French in the English commentary because the argument concerns their placement in the French sentence. Where in the opening maxim approximates où; the restrictive ne…que construction is conveyed by only. Their exact syntactic relationship cannot be reproduced in English.

T230.Sooner reads printed plutôt in the temporal sense suggested by the visit, rather than as rather. Through the familiar retains the incomplete feminine expression par la familière and the source’s sic; no missing noun is supplied. Trusting reads printed ce fier as the reflexive se fier.

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.