The Emerald Tablet of Hermes

Hermes

• Publisher: Youcanprint
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9788892657755
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Philosophy History & Theory

The Emerald Tablet is a text purporting to reveal the secret of the primordial substance and its transmutations. It claims to be the work of the legendary Hermes Trismegistus.

TRANSLATIONS

From Jabir ibn Hayyan.

0) Balinas mentions the engraving on the table in the hand of Hermes, which says:

1) Truth! Certainty! That in which there is no doubt!

2) That which is above is from that which is below, and that which is below is from that which is above, working the miracles of one.

3) As all things were from one.

4) Its father is the Sun and its mother the Moon.

5) The Earth carried it in her belly, and the Wind nourished it in her belly,

6) as Earth which shall become Fire.

7) Feed the Earth from that which is subtle, with the greatest power.

8) It ascends from the earth to the heaven and becomes ruler over that which is above and that which is below.

9) And I have already explained the meaning of the whole of this in two of these books of mine. [Holmyard 1923: 562.]

Another Arabic Version (from the German of Ruska, translated by ‘Anonymous').

0) Here is that which the priest Sagijus of Nabulus has dictated concerning the entrance of Balinas into the hidden chamber... After my entrance into the chamber, where the talisman was set up, I came up to an old man sitting on a golden throne, who was holding an emerald table in one hand. And behold the following - in Syriac, the primordial language- was written thereon:

1) Here (is) a true explanation, concerning which there can be no doubt.

2) It attests: The above from the below, and the below from the above the work of the miracle of the One.

3) And things have been from this primal substance through a single act. How wonderful is this work! It is the main (principle) of the world and is its maintainer.

4) Its father is the sun and its mother the moon; the

5) wind has borne it in its body, and the earth has nourished it.

6) the father of talismen and the protector of miracles

7) 6a) whose powers are perfect, and whose lights are confirmed (?), 7) a fire that becomes earth.

8) 7a) Separate the earth from the fire, so you will attain the subtle as more inherent than the gross, with care and sagacity.

9) It rises from earth to heaven, so as to draw the lights of the heights to itself, and descends to the earth; thus within it are the forces of the above and the below;

10) because the light of lights within it, thus does the darkness flee before it.

11) The force of forces, which overcomes every subtle thing and penetrates into everything gross.

12) The structure of the microcosm is in accordance with the structure of the macrocosm.

13) And accordingly proceed the knowledgeable.

14) And to this aspired Hermes, who was threefold graced with wisdom.

15) And this is his last book, which he concealed in the chamber. [Anon 1985: 24-5]

Twelfth Century Latin

0) When I entered into the cave, I received the tablet zaradi, which was inscribed, from between the hands of Hermes, in which I discovered these words:

1) True, without falsehood, certain, most certain.

2) What is above is like what is below, and what is below is like that which is above. To make the miracle of the one thing.

3) And as all things were made from contemplation of one, so all things were born from one adaptation.

4) Its father is the Sun, its mother is the Moon.

5) The wind carried it in its womb, the earth breast fed it.

6) It is the father of all ‘works of wonder' (Telesmi) in the world.

7) Its power is complete (integra).

8) If cast to (turned towards- versa fuerit) earth,

9) it will separate earth from fire, the subtile from the gross. 8) With great capacity it ascends from earth to heaven. Again it descends to earth, and takes back the power of the above and the below.

10) Thus you will receive the glory of the distinctiveness of the world.

11) All obscurity will flee from you.

12) This is the whole most strong strength of all strength, for it overcomes all subtle things, and penetrates all solid things.

13) 11a) Thus was the world created.

14) From this comes marvelous adaptions of which this is the proceedure.

15) Therefore I am called Hermes, because I have three parts of the wisdom of the whole world.

16) And complete is what I had to say about the work of the Sun, from the book of Galieni Alfachimi.

17) [From Latin in Steele and Singer 1928: 492.]

Translation from Aurelium Occultae Philosophorum..Georgio Beato

1) This is true and remote from all cover of falsehood

2) Whatever is below is similar to that which is above. Through this the marvels of the work of one thing are procured and perfected. 3) Als...