Einladung/Invitation

Einladung

Wagt's mit meiner Kost, ihr Esser!

Morgen schmeckt sie euch schon besser

Und schon übermorgen gut!

Wollt ihr dann noch mehr,–so machen

Mir zu sieben neuen Mut

–Friedrich Nietzsche

The first sentence is about "my food" and multiple others are the eaters of my food. The second sentence then talks about how the food will taste better for those who ate "my food" tomorrow. The third sentence says and the next day as well. I believe the fourth sentence is stating if they will ever make more, I am presuming more meals with "my food". The last sentence is discussing how I will have seven times the amount of courage.

My mind can't help but picture "The Last Supper". The reason my mind is going to this image is because the title of the overall section of this book is called "Scherz, List und Rache" meaning "Joke, Cunning and Revenge". This poem is entitled "Einladung" meaning invitation. From my previous knowledge of Nietzsche I know that in The Gay Science he proclaims that "God is dead". With that I can't help but think he would open up his prose with an ode to "The Last Supper". He uses this image in a footle manner. Perhaps getting to the point that the reason why the meals will taste better the following days because Jesus would have been crucified and have died for the sins of Christians. I believe that the seven times amount of courage comes from the heart of the disciples because they will need courage in order to continue their missions without Jesus being present in his current state. 

I also see Nietzsche choosing the word "Einladung" to invite his readers into his thought and starting out with a Christian ideal will start his argument about his ideas of eternal recurrence and his viewpoints on religion. It states that "The Gay Science" will in fact be controversial. 

Now that we have taken a look at what I am getting from my German translation let's look at this poem in the English translation by Walter Kaufmann.

 Invitation

Take a chance and try my fare:

It will grow on you, I swear;

Soon it will taste good to you.

If by then you should want more,

All the things I've done before

Will inspire things quite new

–Friedrich Nietzsche translated by Walter Kaufmann

This translation speaks entirely differently to me than the religious undertone of my horrible German translation. Kaufmann wrote a footnote about this poem as well. He stated "The modesty of the first three lines is striking. Literally, the fare will taste better tomorrow, and good only the day after tomorrow" (Kaufmann 41). 

What I am gathering from this prose is that Nietzsche is in fact inviting you into his thought. He is saying that at first you will not like his fare but after time you will acquire a taste for it. He uses the term "fare" as a metaphor for his thought and conscious. He knows that people will find what he has to say absurd but in time his philosophy will grow on you. This could be his discussion of the reevaluation of morality. 

It also speaks to me in a different light as well. It goes back to the idea of not to judge a book by its cover. You may not like what you see immediately but if you give it a shot it could become your favorite. It truly is an invitation into another's thought. Nietzsche has opened the door and has said that you won't like what I have to say at first but eventually you will build the palette you need to enjoy it. 

I am asking all of you to join me on this educational journey as well. I know some of the things I will say and analyze will be wrong. Some of it could offend you as well but we can all have a dialogue and start to see the world in a different manner using Nietzsche as our guide. Please use comment section and tell me what you think of Nietzsche's invitation.