Zarathustra prays to his Will—figured as inner fate and necessity—to preserve him from ‘small victor… — Friedrich Nietzsche

Zarathustra prays to his Will—figured as inner fate and necessity—to preserve him from ‘small victories’ and to save his strength for one single, great fate and great victory.

By Friedrich Nietzsche, from Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Key Arguments

Small victories intoxicate and unman creators, darkening vision and making them stumble instead of stand, so they must be avoided to conserve greatness for a singular task.
The Will is experienced as both immanent and transcendent (‘in-me! Over-me!’), functioning as one’s fate and necessity, thus the proper object of invocation when orienting life toward a great fate.
True greatness requires being saved ‘for your ultimate test’—to be unrelenting in victory—implying that endurance and severity are more vital than incremental successes.

Source Quotes

You turning of all need, necessity! Preserve me from all small victories! You fatality of my soul, which I call fate!

Preserve me from all small victories! You fatality of my soul, which I call fate! You in-me! Over-me! Preserve and save me for a single great fate! And your ultimate greatness, my Will, save it for your ultimate test– that you be unrelenting your victory!

Preserve and save me for a single great fate! And your ultimate greatness, my Will, save it for your ultimate test– that you be unrelenting your victory! Ah, who has not succumbed to his own victory!

And your ultimate greatness, my Will, save it for your ultimate test– that you be unrelenting your victory! Ah, who has not succumbed to his own victory! Ah, whose eye would not darken in this drunken twilight!

Ah, whose eye would not darken in this drunken twilight! Ah, whose foot would not stumble and be unable in victory– to stand!– – That I may one day be ready and ripe in the Great Midday: ready and ripe like glowing bronze, a lightning-pregnant cloud and swelling milk-udder:– – ready for myself and for my most hidden Will: a bow lusting for its arrow, an arrow lusting for its star:– – a star ready and ripe in its midday, glowing, penetrated, blissful with annihilating sun-arrows:– – a sun itself and an unrelenting sun-will, ready for annihilation in victory! O Will, turning of all need, you necessity!

Key Concepts

Preserve me from all small victories!
You fatality of my soul, which I call fate! You in-me! Over-me! Preserve and save me for a single great fate!
save it for your ultimate test– that you be unrelenting your victory!
Ah, who has not succumbed to his own victory!
Ah, whose foot would not stumble and be unable in victory– to stand!–

Context

Opening apostrophe of section 30 is a hymn to the Will as inner-fate/necessity; Zarathustra petitions to be spared minor triumphs and preserved for a singular great fate and victory.

Perspectives

Nietzsche: Approves: the suspicion of ‘small victories’ aligns with his critique of comfort and complacency; the Will as necessity/fate echoes amor fati and the need to marshal one’s forces for a higher task rather than dissipate them in reactive successes.
Zarathustra: Affirms as a self-directed liturgy: he asks his Will to keep him austere, concentrated on a single great destiny; he warns that victories can seduce and topple the creator unless he remains unrelenting.