Monthly Archives: November 2014

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Leopardi, 12

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As the richest of us would gain no honor by lavishing money upon those peoples who neither know nor esteem gold or silver, indeed, if he had no other way of winning esteem would be placed lower than the low and would not satisfy even his most essential needs with his money, so, where intelligence or wit have no value, or when no one understands how to appreciate them, the most intelligent, cleverest, greatest man, if he has no other gifts, will be despised and placed among the lowliest. It is the same where he has a certain kind of intelligence or wit that is not admired in that country. It is the same in relation to the times. In each place and at each time, one must spend the local currency. (258)

Leopardi, Giacomo, and Michael Caesar. Zibaldone. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2013.

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Leopardi, 11

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Happiness can be found only in the perfection of which a being is capable. A being is not perfect if all of its faculties are not perfectly in accord with one another, perfectly developed according to their nature, and if each of these does not enjoy its proper object to the full extent of its capability. It is not perfect if it does not conform to the laws resulting from its nature. But in order to conform to them, it needs to know what they are. Therefore, man cannot be happy unless he knows himself and the necessary relationships he has with other beings. (227)

Leopardi, Giacomo, and Michael Caesar. Zibaldone. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2013.

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Leopardi, 10

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It would be as well for philosophers to get it clearly into their heads that life in itself has no importance whatsoever. What is important is living it well and happily, or at least, or even above all, not living it badly and unhappily. And so they should ascribe usefulness not to those things which simply ensure or preserve life, considered simply as an end in itself, but rather to those which make it worthwhile, that is, really hap[py. But the only thing that makes it truly happy is the false, and every happiness founded on truth is profoundly false, or we could say, every happiness proves to be false and empty when its object is recognized in its reality and truth. (215)

Leopardi, Giacomo, and Michael Caesar. Zibaldone. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2013.

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“A long period opens in which one has progressively less to say and the devotion of one’s friends is slowly overtaken by their silence; a final claim is mounted that one’s counsel has always mattered more than one’s prowess, and the claim helps—but only somewhat. And then the lights fail.”

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Needles

“Permanent” needles may cause permanent damage. No needles are really permanent. Some last much longer than others but all should be changed from time to time. Play safe. Ask your dealer for the new Columbia Needle.

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Let the bright day turn to darkness for him.

(6) “Devastate the earth where he was created, wreck his dwelling.”
(7) “Let the battle-array resound against him.”
(8) “Let your ferocious battle force rage on against him.”
(9) “Let the entirety of it make the dust storm block him.”
(10) “Draw the bow. Let the arrow become poison to him.”
(11) “Let your features become changed like a gallu-demon.”
(12) “Send out fog, so that he may not distinguish your face.”
(13) “Let your radiance go against him.”
(14) “Let your attack be glorious, may you have radiance.”
(15) “Let the sun not shine on him.”
(16) “Let the bright day turn to darkness for him.”

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‘Hand of mankind’ against him

(1.5.3:1)If a man has vertigo, his limbs are ‘poured out’, 2 he continually suffers 1 from depression 2 (and) fear, (then) there is ‘hand of mankind’ against him. 3 (To cure it:) Silver, gold, bronze, iron, anzaḫḫu-glass, ḫuluḫḫu-glass, black frit, zalāqu-stone in [a leather (bag around his neck)].